Pieter Paul Rubens
Self-Portrait, 1638
| Years of life: | 1577 – 1640 |
|---|---|
| Artist's Teachers: | Tobias Verhaecht, Adam van Noort, Otto van Veen |
| Artist's students: | Anthony van Dyck, Jacob Jordaens, Frans Snyders |
| Art Movement: | Baroque |
| Painting School: | Flemish School, Antwerp School |
| Genre: | Portrait , Landscape , Religious , Mythology , Genre scenes , Military art , Animalistics |
|---|---|
| Country: | Flanders |
| Century: | XVI , XVII |
An extraordinary man, who had traveled to many countries, gifted with many talents: artist, diplomat, merchant, scholar. His studio, which employed many assistants, including Van Dyck, was inundated with commissions.
To appreciate the significance and magnificence of his large-scale works, such as altarpieces or ceiling decorations, they must be seen in the interior for which they were created. However, do not overlook his many sketches and drawings, the marvelous embodiment of his vitality, and the preparatory stage of many outstanding works. Rubens’s work is always larger than life, so enjoys the energy and enthusiasm he brought to everything he saw and did.
When exploring Rubens’ work, three main themes can be distinguished: 1) Movement – pictorial compositions based on diagonals and unexpected angles; 2) Muscular bodies – the gods in his paintings built like Superman; Christian martyrs are perfectly built; 3) Female body: the artist never missed a chance to reveal a choice breast and cleavage.
In his later years, Rubens developed a new interest in landscape painting.
Rubens’s major works are Samson and Delilah (see pages 192–193); The Life of Maria de Medici series, c. 1621–25 (Paris: Musée du Louvre); The Garden of Love, 1632–34 (Madrid: Museo del Prado); The Judgment of Paris, 1635–38 (London: National Gallery).
References:
- Robert Cumming. Art: complete encyclopedia. – 512 p. – Moscow: Astrel, 2005.
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