a few of the cities that proudly display his works. many of his paintings are studies of lust and sensuality. but his cliched reputation as the painter of big women belies his inexhaustible repertoire. ruben s depicted large heavy figures in vigorous movement and he had a rich imagination. his dramatic visual language gave rise to a new style that would later be termed broke. we re the artist spent most of his life in the city of and. his family moved here from germany when he was ten. at the time it belonged to the
spanish netherlands. ruben s mother wanted him to pursue a career at court where he trained as a page. they stay in a good food inc you know to me received the education of a young courtier which later proved to be an advantage of. a king he knew how to interact with the aristocracy and the higher social classes to come with. and that proved very useful to him as an artist who to be needs to back. in the late sixteenth century catholic antwerp was a flourishing center of international commerce despite the ongoing wars of religion ruben s always knew he wanted to be a painter he left courted fourteen to train as an apprentice at antwerp arts studio boss i didn t lose. this in fact was totally beneath his social standing of a woman right where he was
involved in politics. at the same time we also see that he s painting different subject matter. allegories of love for example in which is why for adopts the role of a muse all the time today to. the judgment of paris painted for the spanish king. rubens wife appears unmistakably as the goddess at the center of the composition. so one mistake a boy the artist immediately faced calls to paint clothes on to the figure. but he steadfastly refused. she also served as the model for one of his best known paintings the three graces. ruben s perfected the art of painting skin the priest blace and dimpled almost palpable in its details rendition.
a wealthy man who travelled with companions and servants and who to the envy of some italian painters had ridden through rome on an equal footing with other noblemen. ruben s position gave him access to the leading art collections in italy. the rich and powerful furnished their residences with magnificent galleries like the trigona in the a feat see. contemporary art was displayed alongside works of antiquity. in his later paintings rubens would reference the pose of the famous medic venus. part of his unparalleled skill and his ability to transform a vast variety of stylistic influences from classical to contemporary into a personal style that was new and original. the
remained draped in mourning for six weeks. more than eight hundred sixty masses were offered at different locations for the repose of his soul. ruben s left behind a unique legacy. he remains a giant of the art world who still draws millions of museum visitors with paintings that he executed for europe s kings nobility and both catholics and protestants. he s known as the homer of painting because so many of his works tell a story. today his most private images are on public display the subject of millions of snapshots. would ruben s approve. for someone who devoted so much energy to diplomacy it seems safe to say that