November 2, 2013
Peter Paul Rubens's The Three Graces
The painting "The Three Graces" by Peter Paul Rubens was finished two years before he passed away. This Flemish Painting took two years to make, from the years 1636 to 1638. This painting created with oil paints on wood really strikes me because it is very unique. Most paintings at the time depict nude people but these women and men that Rubens paints are much fuller and is quite beautiful. In this painting, most of the detail and bright colors are toward the top of the painting. If you look closely at the painting, you can see there are details in the background like trees and bushes and hills. Also the use of light is amazing. Light is only hitting certain parts of the body making it more realistic. Although this painting is anything but realistic. Everything is very exaggerated. For example, the arms would be 15 feet in reality. Everything is very large and long but it only makes this painting more beautiful, at least in my opinion. I really love how Rubens makes the roses at the top so detailed and bright. It immediately shifts my attention to the top of the painting. There isn't really anything that I dislike about this painting, it's executed very well. You can tell this is a baroque painting because everything is very exaggerated. The people in the painting isn't anatomically correct. You can definitely tell this is flemish baroque because for the flemish painters thought fat is beautiful. Rubens was definitely known for making his people nude and full-bodied. This is more of a religious painting because this painting depicts the Three Graces. The Three Graces were the goddesses of pleasant charm, of charitable deeds, and of gratitude. So it wasn't Christianity but more of the Greek religion (polytheism).
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I completely agree with your analysis although I think you could have gone farther to question weather or not the painting is happy or sad because of the light in the back but the darkness in the foreground. I also agree and think its funny that the people are so large and they, in my opinion are anything but realistic. They look like giant goddesses and the entire scene looks like a fairy tale. Also i believe that the use of light doesn't make the people look real but it makes them glow and look like fairies. The lighting, dancing, flowers towards the top, and the location of the painting makes me think this. All in all I think it's an amazing painting and it is a wonderful representation of Flemish Baroque.
ReplyDeletecompletely agree with you on how this painting reflects baroque art. However, I agree with molly that this painting isn't very realistic due to the fact that their arms and legs are so disproportionate and elongated. As you said the exaggeration of the arms and legs definitely demonstrates baroque art. This painting contains so much ornate detail like in roses, the background, and even their hair. Also, I appreciated learning a little bit about the painter to help describe why the painting was painted with the type of subject matter. Overall, I think you did an amazingly awesome job!
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