Publisher's Synopsis
Now for the first time in paperback: Scribner's classic biography and introduction to the wide range of works by the great Flemish Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640). Rubens is an 'artist's artist', known for his glowing, painterly treatments of classical mythology and religious themes and his stunning portraits and landscapes. His paintings-many commissioned by Europe's leading princes and prelates-adorn the walls of the world's greatest museums, from the Hermitage, Prado, and Louvre to the Metropolitan and National Gallery. Painters from Watteau to Delacroix to Cézanne and Matisse have looked to Rubens for inspiration. His prodigious output included easel paintings, tapestries, altarpieces, decorative ceilings, sculpture designs, and monuments for festivals; he was also a leading diplomat-knighted by the kings of England and Spain-an antiquarian, humanist, and amateur architect: in short, the Baroque fulfillment of the Renaissance man. This illuminating biographical study of Rubens and his time is accompanied by 80 illustrations of Rubens's work and comparative examples by other artists. The 43 color plates are each introduced by in-depth commentaries on the picture's context and meaning.
