Wednesday, March 3, 1999

Announcements:

• none

    Abduction of the Daughters of Leucippus, Rubens, 1617

• mythological theme--traditional
• Castor and Pollux (sons of Zeus) kidnapping betrothed twin sisters
• composition
• interrelated arms, gestures
• continuous line
• turning motion, like pinwheel
• sense of rising and falling
• very theatrical, cinematic
• low vantage point
• makes figures appear even more monumental

• in his work Rubens addresses a number of subjects
• this type of piece of of interest to aristocracy for whom hunting is an important/popular pastime/status symbol
• bozzetto: preparatory sketch
• preliminary tool
• often more emotional than the final piece
• Rubens retains the dynamism of his sketches
• this piece:
• moment of turbulence, terror
• composition
• diagonal line (spear, horse, lion)
• at center: the lion
• symbol of violence in nature
• figure in contemporary European military helmet

• Marie de'Medici is of the Italian di Medici family
• Rubens is faced with the task of creating a grandiose painting out of a relatively uninteresting life
• depicts her as she arrives to meet her betrothed (the King of France)
• Rubens transforms a human scene into something fantastic
• uses language of mythology to emphasize her importance
• as if the sea and the air are rejoicing at the moment
• allegories, symbologies, literal history
• state propaganda

• more fanatical intepretation/regard for religious subjects
• little distortion
• naturalistic
• two types of subjects
• religion
• portraits
• surface sensuousity

• St. Bernard had vision of Christ, but painting makes is seem experience was an actually meeting
• only St. Bernard and viewers are made aware
• theological embrace and physical embrace
• Counterreformation
• not heroic; humble people can have access to Christ as well
• salvation is available to everyone
• sensual, but not intended to be so
• Christ is not idealized

• Italian influence
• painted for Spanish patrons
• introduced Italian styles to Spain
• studied/lived in Naples

• example of Counterreformation art
• more refined than St. Bernard
• personalities portrayed subtly
• figures are intertwined
• diagonal line
• not idealized (naturalistic)
• strong feeling of pathos

• exchanged himself for prisoners of war
• religious fervor translated into mysticism
• suggestive of death; not a dramatic representation

• observes each object intensely
• texture
• mysterious background
• medative, contemplative
• inventory of wondrous works of God

• from Seville, successful city through which Spanish acquisitions from the New World flowed

• genre scene, one which is customary in southern Spain
• great dignity, regardless of his poverty
• transforms genre scene to religion
• material reality
• translucent goblet
• texture of collar on boy
• texture of earthenware jug
• droplets and dimples in surface
• almost sacramental moment

• noisy kitchen is stilled
• every object is recorded
• everything is in the service of life
• serving Lenten food (religious significance)