The genius of Peter Paul Rubens and the Flemish Baroque school of Art

What makes the Flemish Baroque school of painting so spectacular is the attention to detail and the brilliant lighting in each of the paintings. This school of art existed far before impressionism took the art world by storm and was more loyal to real proportions and contrasts. In fact, Van Gogh's much celebrated 'Vase with Twelve Flowers' wasn't the first example of floral still art. Jan Brueghel the Elder, an artist from the Flemish Baroque era perfected the technique of painting vases of flowers much before others. Yet, one doesn't find too much mention of him in popular culture.

Van Gogh's Vase with twelve sunflowers, 1888

Brueghel the elder's Flower Still Life, 1603

Brueghel the elder, whose father and son were also noted Flemish painters, had established the association of his family name with floral art. But my favourite Flemish Baroque artist has to be Ruben. There is just something about the flow of his hand, the beauty of his subjects and the captured movement in his paintings. He was praised for his lavish portraits of nobility and was even knighted by both the King of Spain and Charles I. 

His most popular works include The massacre of the Innocents,1611;  Venus at the Mirror, 1615; Tiger and Lion Hunt, 1618 and The fall of Man, 1629.

My favourites among his work are  Equestrian Portrait of the Duke of Lerma, 1603 which was painted during his first trip to Spain and Prometheus Bound, 1611.

Equestrian Portrait of the Duke of Lerma, 1603

Prometheus Bound, 1611

Ruben had himself acknowledged that Prometheus Bound was one of his most important works. He collaborated with several other artists to create this masterpiece. In fact the eagle which would eat mythical Prometheus' liver every day as part of his punishment for stealing fire from the gods has been painted by Frans Snyders.

My fascination with these paintings lies in the clever detailing, portrayal of sinew and beautiful use of light.

Sources: http://oilpaintingbank.com/van-gogh-flower-oil-paintings/32110-Van-Gogh-flower-oil-paintings-76.html

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/32357038@N08/3372918249/

 http://www.famous-painters.org/Peter-Paul-Rubens/The-Equestrian-Portrait-of-the-Duke-of-Lerma.shtm

 http://awp.diaart.org/kos/images/rubensprom.html

 http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/104468.html