Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)

Rubens, one of the greatest Flemish artists of the Baroque period was born on June 27, 1577 in Germany but grew up in Antwerp, Belgium. The Baroque period lasted from the early 17th century to the mid-18th century (1600s to 1750s). Art in this period evoked strong emotions by being very dramatic and full of curved forms, a lot of fancy ornamentation and decoration that is sometimes considered gaudy and overdone by modern standards.

By the time Rubens was 21, he was already regarded as a master painter. He spent eight years in Italy as the court painter for the wealthy Duke of Mantua, where he was able to study the work of Italian Renaissance and Spanish painters very closely. When he returned to the Netherlands in 1608, he was regarded as a leading artist of his time.

What made his art so outstanding was his ability to use light and color not only as they occur naturally but also to add extra drama and energy to his paintings. In one of his most famous portraits, a beautiful Spanish noblewoman named Marchesa Brigida Spinola Doria is wearing a satin gown that looks more like a photograph than a painting! Instead of doing lots of drawings in preparation for large pictures and tapestries, Rubens did smaller studies in oil so that he knew exactly where to put what and how the light would work in every section of the piece.

He was so successful at ending wars that Charles I of England knighted him for settling a war between England and Spain. In addition, he was an architect, a coin and antique collector, print designer, and scholar. He spoke five languages including Latin, which helped him as an ambassador, and he was charming and talented as well. Rubens got up early, sometimes before sunrise, and was very well organized, which is probably why he was able to get so much done. When speaking about his own abilities, Rubens said, "My talents are such that I have never lacked courage to undertake any design, however vast in size or diversified in subject."

As he got older, Rubens did smaller pieces like portraits and landscapes, but still kept busy. He died May 30, 1640 at 63. His work had a very strong influence of many painters after him, including Thomas Gainsborough.