Final answer:
During the Renaissance in northern cities, patronage of artists predominantly came from the merchant class.
Explanation:
The patronage of artists in northern cities during the Renaissance came primarily from the merchant class. Unlike in Renaissance Italy where patronage came from sources like the monarchy and the Church, the prosperous middle class in northern cities sought to express their status and pride through art.
The new middle class competed with traditional sources of patronage like the Church and the aristocracy, commissioning works of art to elevate their status and beautify their homes.
Examples include Francesco Pugliese commissioning Piero di Cosimo for secular paintings and Nicholas Jongelinck commissioning Pieter Bruegel the Elder for decorative paintings.
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