Peter Paul Rubens
Flemish Baroque master
Peter Paul Rubens was a Flemish painter of the seventeenth century, the leading figure of Baroque art in northern Europe.
His works are known for dramatic movement, rich color, and sensuous depictions of flesh—particularly voluptuous female nudes.
Rubenesque describes full-figured women, after his style: She had a Rubenesque figure that would have graced his canvases.
Impressive splendor and scale
- opulenceShowy, abundant prosperity
- Counter-ReformationChurch's internal reform movement
- CatholicismPapal Christian denomination
- theatricalityExaggerated, showy manner
dynamism · Antwerp · Flemish · altarpiece · triptych · allegory · ornate · gilded
Sensually full-bodied
- fleshyThick with soft tissue
- muscularHaving well-developed sinews
- robustStrong and durable
- full-bodiedIntense, complete flavor
curvaceous · rounded · ample · sensuous · corporeal · naturalistic · idealized · heroic
Active and changing
- energyPower to do work
- diagonalSlanting line or path
- spiralingCurving in widening circles
- dramatic actionPurposeful theatrical movement
horses · battle scenes · tumultuous · swirling · gesture · foreshortening · violent · cascading
Heavy woven cloth
- brushstrokesMarks left by painting
- oil paintPigment bound with linseed
- paletteSurface for mixing pigments
- masterpieceSupreme artistic achievement
composition · chiaroscuro · impasto · glazing · pigment · linseed oil · varnish · underdrawing
Fire-stealing benefactor of mortals
- MedusaStone-gazing mythic creature
- Judgment of ParisBeauty contest among goddesses
- DianaRoman hunting goddess
- VenusLove goddess, or planet
Hercules · centaur · nymph · satyr · Bacchus · Minerva · Mars · Ganymede
Official foreign representative
- envoyAccredited diplomatic representative
- peace negotiationsDiplomatic talks ending conflict
- Spanish NetherlandsIberian-controlled Belgian region
- Charles IStuart king beheaded 1649
courtier · missions · correspondence · intelligence · knighthood · Madrid · London · confidential
grandeur
Impressive splendor and scale
- opulenceShowy, abundant prosperity
- Counter-ReformationChurch's internal reform movement
- CatholicismPapal Christian denomination
theatricality · dynamism · Antwerp · Flemish · altarpiece · triptych · allegory · ornate · gilded · elaborate
voluptuous
Sensually full-bodied
full-bodied · curvaceous · rounded · ample · sensuous · corporeal · naturalistic · idealized · heroic · nudes
dynamic
Active and changing
dramatic action · horses · battle scenes · tumultuous · swirling · gesture · foreshortening · violent · cascading · explosive
canvas
Heavy woven cloth
- brushstrokesMarks left by painting
- oil paintPigment bound with linseed
- paletteSurface for mixing pigments
masterpiece · composition · chiaroscuro · impasto · glazing · pigment · linseed oil · varnish · underdrawing · sketch
Prometheus
Fire-stealing benefactor of mortals
- MedusaStone-gazing mythic creature
- Judgment of ParisBeauty contest among goddesses
- DianaRoman hunting goddess
Venus · Hercules · centaur · nymph · satyr · Bacchus · Minerva · Mars · Ganymede · Andromeda
ambassador
Official foreign representative
- envoyAccredited diplomatic representative
- peace negotiationsDiplomatic talks ending conflict
- Spanish NetherlandsIberian-controlled Belgian region
Charles I · courtier · missions · correspondence · intelligence · knighthood · Madrid · London · confidential · negotiations