The eclectic art of which the Carracci family dreamed was realised by Rubens with the ease of genius. However, the problem was much more complicated for a man of the north, who wished to add to it a fusion of the Flemish and Latin spirits, of which the rather pedantic attempts of Romanism had illustrated the difficulties. He achieved it without losing anything of his overflowing personality, his questing imagination, and the enchanting discoveries of the greatest colourist known to painting. Rubens, the greatest master of Baroque painting’s exuberance, took from the Italian Renaissance what could be of use to him, and then built upon it a style of his own. It is distinguished by a wonderful mastery of the human form and an amazing wealth of splendidly lighted colour. He was a man of much intellectual poise and was accustomed to court life, travelling from court to court, with pomp, as a trusted envoy. Rubens was one of those rare mortals who do real honour to humanity. He was handsome, good and generous, and he loved virtue. His laborious life was well ordered. The creator of so many delightful pagan feasts went each morning to mass before proceeding to his studio. He was the most illustrious type of happy and perfectly balanced genius, and combined in his personage passion and science, ardour and reflection. Rubens expressed drama as well as joy, since nothing human was foreign to him, and he could command at will the pathos of colour and expression which he required in his religious masterpieces. It might be said that he was as prolific in the representation of the joy and exuberance of life as Michelangelo was in the representation of passionate emotions.
L'Origine du monde
Jp. A. Calosse, Hans-Jürgen Döpp
bookLove 120 illustrations
Jp. A. Calosse
bookLe Nu 120 illustrations
Jp. A. Calosse
bookThe Origin of the World
Jp. A. Calosse, Hans-Jürgen Döpp
bookPaul Gauguin et œuvres d'art
Jp. A. Calosse
bookGoya et œuvres d'art
Jp. A. Calosse
bookGoya and artworks
Jp. A. Calosse
bookLes Graveurs de la Renaissance
Jp. A. Calosse
bookLe Gréco (1541 1614)
Jp. A. Calosse
bookJohannes Vermeer
Jp. A. Calosse
bookThe Renaissance Engravers
Jp. A. Calosse, Charmian Mezentseva
bookDesnudos 120 ilustraciones
Jp. A. Calosse
book
Jean-Honoré Fragonard and artworks
Edmond de Goncourt, Jules de Goncourt
bookVigée-Lebrun et œuvres d'art
Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun
bookMaurice Denis et œuvres d'art
Albert Kostenevitch
bookNicolas Poussin et œuvres d'art
Youri Zotolov, Natalia Serebriannaïa
bookLas Aves de Audubon
John James Audubon
bookLas Aves de Audubon
John James Audubon
bookLes Préraphaélites 120 illustrations
Robert de la Sizeranne
bookOpium. The Flowers of Evil
Donald Wigal
bookJules Pascin and artworks
Alexandre Dupouy
bookDie Präraffaeliten 120 Illustrationen
Robert de la Sizeranne
bookL’Art de l’Inde 120 illustrations
Vincent Arthur Smith
bookArt of India 120 illustrations
Vincent Arthur Smith
book