Baroque Era
The painting shown above is a piece created by Peter Paul Rubens, titled Allegory of the Outbreak of War, in the year 1638. It was created in Florence, Italy, using oil on a canvas. Rubens had an excellent educational upbringing and therefore able to apply this knowledge of famous figures and important dates into his works. The Allegory of the Outbreak of War is no exception.
Connection:
This painting is directly connected to the Thirty Years War. The Thirty Years War occurred from the year 1618 to the year 1648 and the painting was created in the year 1638 in order to show the consequences of war on the arts and the people involved in the war. It is stunning to see Rubens capture its effects and be able to bring it to life because it is a hard concept to grasp. Rubens lobbied for the war to end and portrayed it most powerfully through his artistic display. It was as if he wanted it to end in the most peaceful way because he did not fight fire with fire. He not only painted during the war, but he also carried messages and delivered agreements between England and Spain. This was reason enough for Charles I to knight him.
Aesthetic Appreciation
In the middle of the painting, you see clad in a red robe the God of War himself, Mars. This piece is amazing and simply magnificent because of the usage of symbolic representation. It pulls together the mythological gods which certainly draws my attention. I adore this painting because of the color usage and how dark it seems. War, in itself, is thought to be a dark subject because of the death it causes and the chaos it brings to the surrounding areas. What draws me into this painting is the book that Mars is stepping on. It shows me that war, depicted by Mars, causes havoc among the arts and letters that are often revered in history. He uses chiaroscuro wisely here and it definitely strengthens the symbols he painted.
Bibliography:
Harris, Beth, and Steven Zucker. "Rubens, the Consequences of War." Khan Academy. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2016. <https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/baroque-art1/flanders-1/v/peter-paul-rubens-the-consequences-of-war-1638-39>.
History.com Staff. "Thirty Years’ War." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 23 Sept. 2016. <http://www.history.com/topics/thirty-years-war>.
"Peter Paul Rubens Biography." - Life, Family, Childhood, Children, History, Wife, Mother, Young, Information, Born, Contract. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2016. <http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ro-Sc/Rubens-Peter-Paul.html#b>.
"Peter Paul Rubens Biography." - Life, Family, Childhood, Children, History, Wife, Mother, Young, Information, Born, Contract. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2016. <http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ro-Sc/Rubens-Peter-Paul.html#b>.
Notice the very strong diagonal line in this painting, from bottom left to top right. This diagonal line is a frequently used convention in artistic composition. Look for it in other works - like Durer's "Four Horseman of the Apocalypse". http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/19.73.209/
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated your clear and concise connection between the Thirty Years War and Ruben's painting. You did a good job of not only explaining the subject connection but going into the aesthetic connection of the painting as well. I really like the aesthetic quality of the background and the translucent foreground on which you put the text over. Very nice touch.
ReplyDeleteRuben's painting is a stunning depiction of a very busy and symbolic scene and you did a great job of leading the viewer to key viewpoints. I personally think that you could write a little more because you have a good grip on writing and it leaves the reader wanting a little more. Great job!
This was a great piece to show a connection with the Thirty Year war!
ReplyDeleteMars was the main character of the picture and, of course, he is the god of war. The closed doors to the Temple of Janus signify peace and the open door means war. The movement in this picture is so dramatic, everyone and everything appears to be in motion. There are so many different references and so much meaning in every subject of this piece. It is obvious Rubens was a very intelligent man! Great choice for this assignment and great job on the Bibliography, something I am still struggling with..
Personally, I really like the color and movement in this painting. I have been looking at Catholic Counter-Reformation art, which I love, but it is so different from this piece. Something Reuban's painting has in common with it though, is that the artist is trying to create an opinion in the viewer about the subject matter.
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoy this painting, the strange, ethereal movement of the characters in the scene is so moving, especially when you realize what types of tragic real life events they symbolize. Nice choice, and your tie in with the historical events surrounding the painting were clear and easy to follow, very helpful in understanding the painting fully. Both Mars in red and the figure on the left in the black draw a lot of focus in the composition, is the figure meant to represent death, or just the misery and destruction that is derived from war?
ReplyDeleteI too enjoy this piece by Rubens. Mars at the center of piece, creating contrast and turmoil with the other figures alludes to the artists dismay for the 30 Years War. Plus the dynamism of the bodies and the facial expressions showing the emotion of the moment is very Baroque.
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