Both of these portraits by Hans Holbein the Younger are oil paintings on wood panels. Wood panel painting was the most common surface used by Northern Renaissance painters in the sixteenth century, and all of Holbein's portraits of members of the English Royal Court during the reign of Henry VIII were made on wood panels.

Figure 1: Portrait of Sir Thomas More by Hans Holbein the Younger (1527)

Figure 2: Portrait of Thomas Cromwell by Hans Holbein the Younger (c. 1533)

These two paintings, both portraits by Hans Holbein the Younger of Sir Thomas More (on the left) and Thomas Cromwell (on the right), are extremely similar. Both show councillors to King Henry VIII of England in quite serious poses, representing their important positions; however, More takes up the entire frame of his portrait, making him seem extremely important, while Cromwell is placed behind a table on a bench, relegating him to being a part of the scenery.

Figure 1: Portrait of Sir Thomas More by Hans Holbein the Younger (1527)

Figure 2: Portrait of Thomas Cromwell by Hans Holbein the Younger (c. 1533)

"Genre painting" is a term used to denote any painting of an everyday scene, rather than a history painting, portrait, or landscape. "Genre painting" was essentially unheard of in the Middle Ages, when the focus was on devotional art and paintings of kings and rulers. Jan van Eyck's 1434 Arnolfini Portrait, which depicts a merchant getting married in his own chambers, is an early example of a move toward genre painting, which would become much more popular during the Renaissance.

This is a work from the Northern European Renaissance, a movement that lasted throughout the 1400s, or the fifteenth century. This work was created in 1434.

This painting is by the Medieval artist Fra Angelico and known as the Cortona Annunciation. Painted from 1433-1434, it depicts the archangel Gabriel telling the Virgin Mary that she is pregnant with the Christ child. The Annunciation, as a key moment in the Bible, was a very popular theme in Medieval European art. This particular painting was part of an altarpiece in a church in Cortona, Italy, and painted by a priest.

Saint Sebastian was a martyr of the early Christian church who died in the Diocletian persecutions of the third century CE. He became a popular figure in medieval art, usually shown as being tied to a tree with arrows in his sides. This image was to convey what an appropriate Christian martyr should look like.

As one of the most revered figures in Christianity, the Virgin Mary was a constant theme of medieval religious art. In order to function as a highly visible symbol in a mostly illiterate culture, many different symbols were used to distinguish Mary. Most important was her robe, which was typically a bright blue color, which denoted expensive silks.

Saint Stephen is traditionally considered the first martyr of Christianity, and his death by stoning is told in the biblical book of Acts. Due to the circumstances of his death, he was usually depicted with a stone implanted in his skull. Thanks to his position as "the first martyr," Saint Stephen very commonly depicted in Medieval art.

Neptune and Amphitrite is largely influenced by Jan Gossaert's time spent abroad in Italy where he adopted and perfected humanist themes in his art and was exposed to Classical history, myth, and architecture. This painting also clearly echoes the composition and poses seen in Durer's The Fall of Man. Neptune and Amphitrite does NOT, however, feature any discernable Protestant themes. 

The figures in the left hand panel of Campin's Annunciation Triptych are those with the least symbolism surrounding them, while the figures also show the most reverence towards the center panel containing the Virgin Mary and the Archangel Gabriel. This indicates they are simply ardent believers, but for such believers to be included shows they are still people of significant importance. Most likely, such people would be the donors who funded the creation of the work of art to be placed in the church.

Image is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Robert_Campin_-_Triptych_with_the_Annunciation,_known_as_the_%22Merode_Altarpiece%22_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg