The Baroque master continuously climbing the peak of creation—Rubens

Peter Paul Rubens’s (hereinafter refers to as Rubens) creation road is rugged and dangerous. After studying from Flemish painter in Antwerp, he had a strong desire to further climb the peak of art. Rubens went to Italy which was the birthplace of the Renaissance. Painting, sculpture, and architectural masterpieces made him very excited. Rubens diligently and carefully studied the murals of the great Raphael in Vatican and explored the structure of lines and colors and the mystery of rhythm and harmony. He imitated Titian and Veronese's paintings and tasted the charm of Venice school’s color. Rough Tintoretto's works made him understand the belief picture thumbnail ability and creation of various sizes painting in the short term. However, the real Rubens’s model was the painter Michelangelo creating the Sistine Chapel fresco. The young painter Rubens spent hundreds of hours in the Sistine Chapel was shocked by Last Judgment and large ceiling painting whose every piece was difficult to reach. In a word, Rubens had been well prepared to become a master of art. As a result, he really became a master of art.

However, after recognized as “the king of painters and painter of kings” by Europe, Rubens never forgot the shinning peak of the Renaissance. During the three years before his death, he was entrusted to draw the stories of St. Peter. He decided to paint Peter crucified in the cross and was sure this would receive “unusual effect”. This made me immediately think of the mural made by Michelangelo.

Rubens hoped to make a painting like Michelangelo did. Ah, the fantasy of great figures. All of these were Baroque art in this art master. But Rubens better understood his weakness than anyone. He lacked the rough and firm neatness possessed by Michelangelo who had devoted his whole life to art. His inspiration was incomparable. In many people’s eyes, Michelangelo was rude and difficult to get along with, and even rough. However, the smart Rubens felt the mystery and incredible mood in this great Florence person. Michelangelo did not pay attention to the outside appearance and never dealt with the court figures. But Rubens did not possess the depth of Michelangelo. In fact, Rubens usually displayed such effect which was manifested in the fantastic paintings he designed. The musician Beethoven once talked about such desire which was uncontrollable and eager to be perfect, “A real artist knows that the art is endless. He vaguely feels the distance between himself and the target; perhaps when people praise him, he is troubled because he has not reached the peak which is throwing off the light of greatest genius, like a distant sun.”

In Rubens's vast text data, we can't find the space to talk directly about this problem. In the creation, he was always silent. However, Rubens showed a deep regret to his bustling life in his words. Rubens admitted that he was constantly on the run. In a later letter, he once happily said, “Thank God, it is already 3 years since I calmly refused to participate in activities irrelevant to my career.” In his last few years, Rubens finally smashed the “golden chain” and fully engaged in painting. Despite suffering from constant chronic illness, he was with the perfect ideal pursuit to create many great works. Rubens hoped to draw the prophet Peter, but he was unable to do so.

His failure was sad. But in the lives of great men, this was often the case. Vicious disease afflicted Rubens, so that he was unable to express everything he wanted to show. Like a magician, Rubens showed the fascinating world of color and happy world in life. Rubens was a surprising painter and showed his sober view of life in his own paintings.

However, Rubens’s mysteries were not here. The secret of Rubens's creation was very simple. He got a better understanding and was good at depicting all. He could use the palette at his will. And he solved the problem of the contrast of light and shade. As long as with the stroke of a pen, people would see immediate results. No wonder the artists of 19th century seemed to have found Rubens, which was without rhyme or reason. His vivid anemia core form and brightness dazzled the eyes, concise and bright colors made people admire. Rubens used five or six colors to draw the magnificent symphony showing a human life's and a riot rainbow of colors in front of us. The great painter Rubens indeed has surpassed the era!