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A
great deal of the last part of his life was spent at
his country estate near Brussels, where he painted
several beautiful landscapes. He died in the year
1640.
The artist
Ruben's paintings included
hunting scenes, Biblical episodes, portraits,
self-portraits, and stories from classical mythology
and landscapes.
The
style of painting was chiefly influenced by the
ancient Roman art that he had studied in Italy;
besides, his works also had recognizable traces and
semblance of some acclaimed Italian Renaissance
artists such as Michelangelo, Titian, Tintoretto and
Paolo Veronese. He immensely appreciated the works of
contemporary artists like Michelangelo Caravaggio and
Annibale Carracci.
Rubens excelled in Baroque Painting. Baroque
painting displays large-scale forms and freely painted
compositions. Rubens painted several large
altarpieces, mythological subjects and decorative
compositions of forms in dynamic movement, known for
their brilliant colors and emotional intensity.
Some
of Rubens' more important contributions to art include
the paintings on the life of Marie de Medicis, widow
of King Henry IV of France, which totaled twenty four!
Besides, he also painted nine canvasses for the
Banqueting House at Whitewall in London. Elevation
of the Cross and Daniel in the lion's den
are two reflections of his baroque style. The second
painting shows Daniel praying at dawn after safely
spending the night in the lion's den. Completed in
1651, it is one of the few large works he painted
without assistants.
In
the mid-1630's Rubens organized a group of artists to
decorate structures in Antwerp, in celebration of the
visit of a new Spanish governor.
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