What are the main characteristics of humanism and art in Northern Europe, as compared to those of Renaissance Italy? What elements did they share? What elements were different? What would account for these distinctions? How did these contrasting forms reflect the societies that produced them?

Did Thomas More and Desiderius Erasmus embody the ideals of the Northern Renaissance? Discuss the ways in which their lives and writing reflected their concerns and interests. Which do you admire more, the Italian or Northern Renaissance humanist? Why?