Peter Paul Rubens
I encountered the work of Peter Paul Rubens during my research for Art Appreciation class. He was an artist during the Baroque Period. Baroque is an exaggerated over the top style of presenting the greatness of humans. What caught my eye about Rubens is that his work takes this style to the next level. It borders on unrealistic, almost like the modern day comics I read.
Rubens grew up in Antwerp where he received a humanist education. At the young age of fourteen he began his apprenticeship in art under Tobias Verhaeght. He also studied under two of the city’s leading painters, van Noot and van Neen. During his apprenticeship he fine tuned his skills by copying the works of the great artists of his time.
After graduation, he earned the title of Independent Master. It was then that he started his eight year tour of Italy. He was able to soak in the styles of many great artists during his tenure in the foreign country. Some of the artists he studied while there were Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael.
In 1609 he returned to Antwerp. By 1610, he opened up his own studio with numerous students and assistants to study under him. His work consisted of religious subjects, mythological subjects, hunt scenes, and landscapes. He also painted portraits for friends. Most of his work was done as oil sketches. Recently a painting of his sold at auction for $76.2 million. This was entitled “Massacre of the Innocents”. His most famous piece is the “Raising of the Cross” as it is seen as the epitome of Baroque religious art.
Rubens painted many pictures of various things. In today’s society we have the luxury of “googling” an artists work. We do not have to take the world tour like Rubens did in order to be exposed to many great and influential people. I assure you that if you google Rubens you will find some very interesting pictures. They are a little unbelievable. The humans that he paints are extremely muscular and not of a common man. They remind... [continues]

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