Paul Rubens and the Baroque Period, Art, College Term Papers.com


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Paul Rubens and the Baroque Period

Paul Rubens and the Baroque Period For this formal analysis paper I would like to talk about a painting done by the artist named Peter Paul Reubens. The piece itself is entitled, "The Apotheosis of Henry IV and the Proclamation of the Regency of Marie de Medicis on May 14, 1610." The painting was completed in the year 1610, and today it is on display at the Louvre in Paris, France. This painting was one of many that I had to choose from when I was deciding on what to write about. Many internet sites across the world had so many pieces from which to look at, but when it really came down to it, I wanted to write a paper over a topic on which I have held great interest in, that which of course is the Baroque style of painting. Peter Paul Reubens (1577-1640) exemplifies the Baroque style in painting, as did another type of artist from that period who excelled in the art of sculpting. That artist which I speak of, is of course Bernini. Both men were very prolific workers, and according to the text, were the favorites of very powerful rulers. Yet aside from his artistic prowess, I find Reubens' usage of religious themes in his paintings to be very appealing, and I think that is why I liked his work entitled, "The Apotheosis of Henry IV and the Proclamation of the Regency of Marie de Medicis on May 14, 1610," so much. In addition, I was amazed at his mastery of implying the elements and principles of art, which in essence made this work achievable. Therefore, for the remainder of this paper, I would like to go into greater depth of the use of those elements of art and the principles involved which in my mind made this work a masterpiece. The first aspect of this painting that I would like to discuss is Reubens' usage of color. Although it is hard to clearly distinguish the colors on the print-out which I had made, the color scheme of this work is very much like that of Reubens' other work entitled, "The Horrors of War." Both works are oil on canvas and both seem to utilize the use of light pastels. The use of light colors seems to make the bodies in the painting glow and draw direct attention to that which is taking place in the painting. The most noticeable figure in the artwork is the female standing directly in the center with the white cloth wrapped around her body. Reubens apparently wanted the viewer to take notice of this figure, and by emphasizing her appearance with the extreme usage of white colors, his goal was achieved. By doing so, it really makes all of the other individuals not stand out so much and I think Reubens implied this technique on purpose. Yet with all of that said, the painting itself is full of rich and defining contrasts that sets each area of the painting apart from one another. Another aspect of the painting, which I would like to discuss, is that of shadowing and shading. Reubens was very good at this technique because it was emphasized throughout and is extremely noticeable on the subjects' bodies. Casting shadows and shading is a very difficult technique because the artist must decide where the source of light is coming from and how it interacts and reflects upon the objects in the painting. In this particular work, it appears that there was very little light involved, yet by the light and dark shades that are found on the subjects' bodies, it is evident that a light source was intended. The third aspect of the painting that I would like to discuss is that of perspective. More specifically, I would like to note that this painting falls under the realm of the linear perspective. By definition, linear perspective is a system for representing masses in space using a scale in which size represents distance, closer things being larger than those farther away. If you look at the painting very closely, you will notice that this is truly the case. Like I mentioned earlier, the woman in the middle is clearly the central focus, and not mistakenly, she is also the biggest figure in the painting. All of the other subjects seem to encompass her, and as you will notice, the further away from her that you go, the smaller the other subjects become. The use of linear perspective has always fascinated people and the most extravagant use of this technique was in the Baroque period. The illusions can be very convincing because what it shares with our experience is one of the basic parts of vision: "that more distant things appear smaller." The fourth and final aspect of this painting which I would like to discuss is emphasis. Often artists emphasize one part of a composition, designing the piece so that the viewer's attention is drawn irresistibly to that part. In my opinion, the woman standing in the middle of the painting is the emphasis of this particular work. Reubens made this woman brighter, bigger, and even more dramatic for a reason…he wanted her to stand out. Emphasis can be very important. It reveals relationships of meaning and power and lends itself among the parts of a work of art. The question we should now ask is why is this woman the central figure and what is her importance? Although we may never know the exact answer for sure, one thing is definitely clear…her presence is very luminous and since this happens to be a religious work of art, the wings behind her give her the appearance of a supernatural power. To conclude, I think this painting is an excellent example of an aesthetic piece of artwork. Many of the elements of art are used and for appearance sake, this painting is very appealing to the eye and is extremely beautiful to look at. The subject matter is very inviting and has significant religious and historical connotations. I was very impressed with this painting and I have the utmost respect for Reubens and all of his creations. This painting is no doubt a success and I'm highly positive that it is enjoyed by audiences worldwide. Bibliography:

Word Count: 1041