Rubens (Basic Art Series 2.0)

There are over 1,000 catalogued works by Sir Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), the 16th-century flag bearer for Baroque drama, movement, and sensuality. This essential introduction takes in the most important works from this astonishingly prolific oeuvre to explore Rubens`s influences and innovations, and his remarkable visual, and art historical, impact. The richly illustrated survey takes in Rubens`s portraits, landscapes, and historical paintings, as well as his famed and bountiful nudes. Along the way, we examine the artist`s astonishing technique and his deft ability to depict narrative in a compelling and legible visual form, whether an erotic mythological scene or a tender biblical story. This remarkable artistic bravura is placed in context both within Rubens`s long art historical legacy through Van Dyck, Velazquez, and beyond, and his other talents as a classical scholar, diplomat, and knight.