Peter Paul Rubens

Peter Paul Rubens (28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish painter and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition.

Early life

Rubens was born in Siegen to Jan Rubens and Maria Pypelincks. His father, a Calvinist, and mother fled Antwerp for Cologne in 1568, after increased religious turmoil and persecution of Protestants during the rule of the Habsburg Netherlands by the Duke of Alba.

Career

Rubens specialized in making altarpieces, portraits, landscapes, and history paintings of mythological and allegorical subjects. He was a prolific artist. The catalogue of his works by Michael Jaffé lists 1,403 pieces, excluding numerous copies made in his workshop.

Style

Rubens's highly charged compositions reference erudite aspects of classical and Christian history. His unique and immensely popular Baroque style emphasized movement, color, and sensuality, which followed the immediate, dramatic artistic style promoted in the Counter-Reformation.

Legacy

Rubens was knighted by both Philip IV of Spain and Charles I of England. His influence on the art world is vast, with artists like Rembrandt and Picasso being heavily influenced by his work.

See also

• Flemish art
• Baroque painting
• History of painting

External links

• Peter Paul Rubens.net 403 works by Peter Paul Rubens
• Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Peter Paul Rubens