Comparing Baroque Style: Rembrandt and Rubens

785 Words4 Pages
Peter Paul Rubens was commissioned in 1621 to commemorate the life events of his patron, Marie de Medici with a cycle of 24 paintings. While this was an impressive commission, depicting the life of the largely unpopular queen whose highpoints included marrying Henry IV and bearing 6 children, would be difficult to represent. Marie de Medici was, at the time of the commission, quite possibly the most powerful woman in Europe and came from an impressive bloodline; she was the granddaughter of the Holy Roman Emperor and the daughter of the Grand Duke of Tuscany and the Archduchess of Austria. She was married to King Henry IV of France and took the throne as Queen of France where she ruled as regent when her husband was assassinated. She ruled until her son, Louis XIII took power at the age of 15 and banished her to exile. Rubens’ challenge was to pay tribute to this queen’s life without literal illustration of any political controversy which would invite disapproval from his patron and others in the government. Rubens used allegory in his literary knowledge and artistic tradition to represent the more commonplace aspects of the queen’s life. In the 13 foot high ‘Arrival of Marie de Medici at Marseilles’, Rubens is able to make her exit off the ship a significant and triumphant moment; the arrival of Marie de Medici to southern France to marry the French King - the beginning of her destiny as Queen of France. Characteristic of the Baroque period, Rubens depicts theatrics and drama by showing Marie arriving down the diagonally composed gangplank in an elegant golden gown. The personification of France welcomes her with open arms wearing a vivid blue cape of Fleur de Lys, and the mythological Fame trumpets from above where the sky is swirling and full of energy. Below the ship we see the gods of the sea and the nymphs writhe and twist almost as if they are the

More about Comparing Baroque Style: Rembrandt and Rubens

Open Document