Peter Paul Rubens was a prominent artist in the 17th century. He was a Flemish artist who specialized in Baroque art style that focused on bold colors and movement within his works. Rubens worked for the Catholic church when he wasn't working as an artist. Many of Rubens' works were based off the bible and were mainly dedicated to the church or were commissioned by the wealthy. In order to make his paintings so flawless Rubens used traditional iconographic aspects to elevate the prominent religious elements and symbolism such as the ones found in The Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
Out of all the paintings I have seen of this Era, "The Assumption of the Virgin Mary" caught my interest. I was drawn to this painting because of the color scheme that is displayed throughout the whole painting. My main point of interest of this painting is there is almost a line from the top right corner and bottom left where the light meets the dark. As well as the way that the virgin is depicted ascending into the heavens through the light cutting through the otherwise dark background, it adds to the godly atmosphere of this painting. The way that the colors of this painting create a sense of depth within the painting with the use of complimentary dark and light colors that mesh perfectly together. The use of complimentary colors in general is a technique I find interesting as it creates a sense of harmony among the colors. Another technique that caught my eyes was the way lighting is coming in and shining on a specific people differentiating the divine and the common people with how bright or dark they are. With the most light surrounding the Virgin Mary and the angels around her to signify she is being taken by the divine light.
From my understanding the Renaissance focused more on classical ideal and bringing a sense of harmony to the artwork. While Baroque focused on expressing emotions and making the art piece tell a story without words. Peter Paul Rubens' artwork is a good example of Baroque, at least in my humble opinion.
Work Cited
“Assumption of the Virgin Mary, 1626 by Peter Paul Rubens.” Peter Paul Rubens, www.peterpaulrubens.net/assumption-of-the-virgin-mary.jsp.
The Assumption of the Virgin. www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.46131.html.
Gurney, Tom. Assumption of the Virgin Mary by Peter Paul Rubens. www.thehistoryofart.org/peter-paul-rubens/assumption-of-the-virgin-mary.
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