Peter Paul Rubens was a flemish painter during the Baroque movement of the seventeenth century. Despite being an established humanist scholar, Rubens was also a prolific artist whose scope of work ranged from portraits to religious and mythological paintings. His many works are characterized by his use of vivid primary colors, exuberant skin, and dynamic compositions which illustrate figures in motion. His "Elevation of the Cross" is a perfect example of this trademark style. Like many Renaissance pieces before it, primary colors are featured on the garb of the characters in the painting. Jesus, the focus of the work, is dynamically illuminated by a light off canvas. The men in the act of raising the cross are straining their every muscle in order to lift it. This effectively results in the viewer clearly understanding the weight and motion of their collective effort. By choosing this exact moment, Rubens heightens the overall sense of drama.
Rubens has been a profound influence over my work for a while now. For the most part, this is because he always depicted the most climactic moments in the stories he chose to tell. Similar to his contemporary Caravaggio, his work is incredibly dramatic. One cannot help but be poignantly moved by his myriad compositions. Furthermore, his idealized figures are rendered impeccably. They're realistic yet personalized. Overall, Rubens is nothing short of an amazing artist.
More of his work may be found here.
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