Purpose;

An educational blog dedicated to discussion and commentary on art in a historical context, as well as sharing related images of interest.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Northern Baroque Art Pt. 1

Peter Paul Rubens (1622-1625 A.D.)
Arrival of Marie de’ Medici at Marseilles 
Oil on canvas

  This piece by Rubens captures the welcoming of Marie de' Medici to Marseilles by a congregation of people and soldiers. Neptune, his three daughters, and other figures look on from the bottom half of the piece. Rubens attempts to portray weighty, muscular figures whose skin or clothes hang and fold in realistic fashion. The cluttered and frenzied action in the piece is separated from and and surrounds the quiet regal quality of Marie de' Medici with her retainers near the center of the piece. The background is smoky and indistinct, but gives an impression of a ship's mast and rigging. The splashing characters in the foreground support the impression of a waterfront setting.

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