Peter Paul Rubens: St. George and the Dragon

Peter Paul Rubens perfectly represents artistic traditions and philosophical beliefs of the Baroque period because of Ruben’s techniques and subject matter. These techniques include the strong contrast between light and dark, the usage of rich, flamboyant colors which is offset by a dark background, the depiction of motion and facial expressions, the rendering of high detail, the naturalistic rather than ideal figures, the enlarges sense of space, the aim to create a dramatic effect, the theme of religion, the display of power and dramatic intensity, and the appealing to the spirit through the senses. The subject matter of the Baroque Era was often of religious scenes.
The term Baroque originally meant overdone – too many notes in music, too much color in painting, and too grand in architecture. Eventually, Baroque has come to become characterized by elaborate ornamentation, the aim to create a dramatic effect, the appealing of the spirit through the senses, enlarged space, heightened sensuality and spirituality, and highly ornate. Baroque art started in the Catholic countries as a reaction to the Protestant reformation as a way to bring people back into the Catholic Church. For this reason, Rubens was often commissioned by the church to paint various pieces. Through his paintings he created a vivid, dramatic mode of expression that was later called Baroque. The unique qualities of his invention is strongly characterized by the piece St. George and the Dragon which depicts the patron saint slaying the dragon Ascalon to save the princess of Seline. The princess is stiffly posed, but painted in a highly detailed manner, a characteristic that was prevalent in Ruben’s predecessors. The heroic figure of the knight shows brilliant colors and animated gestures to demonstrate Ruben’s interest in portraying motion. His flamboyant Baroque style is often characterized by large heavy figures in active motion and an exited emotional atmosphere. Strong contrasts of light,