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The Death of Decius Mus at the battle

By Peter Paul Rubens

This painting is called ‘The Death of Decius Mus at the battle’ by Peter Paul Rubens. It shows a battle between the Romans and Latiums, where Decius Mus is run through by a lance before the attacking Romans forces and fleeing Latiums. Decius Mus can be seen in the centre of the composition falling off his rearing white horse, whilst the Roman forces advance from the left, and the Latium army is seen fleeing on the right. Slain fighters lie dead on the ground, bodies are being trampled in the overwhelming chaos of the battle, and warriors are climbing over deceased comrades and frenzied masses of bodies.

The whole composition and space in the scene is filled with images of anarchy. The movement and atmosphere of disarray is emphasised by Rubens through the use lines. All the shapes and postures of the figures have been created with curved and arching lines. This can be seen in the rearing horse whose body shape has been formed around a sinuous line. If you follow the shapes from the head and round its coiled neck, the chest and belly of the horse curve back around. Its backside then goes against that arched line creating in all a sinuous posture. Other examples of this line/movement method can be seen the rounded clouds, wavy horses tails, and the depiction of muscles on the body. All of these shapes use rounded and elliptical lines to give the painting movement and vigour. It keeps the motion of the painting constant and fluid as the shapes aren’t harsh or jagged. They flow together smoothly to create effortless shapes. Line is used for this purpose predominately, whereas the formation/outlines of the shapes rely upon the colours/shadows around it.

The paintings doesn’t use clear, obvious lines (i.e. a black pen stroke) to draw attention to the shapes, but instead replies upon shadows and colours. Shadows are used to show the lighting (which can also influence the mood/atmosphere of the painting), distance between objects, and the pronunciation of the various surfaces. It is also used as a way to differentiate between shapes. If you look at the belly of the white horse it is cloaked in shadow, and you can clearly see the curvature of the stomach due to the light shining on the horse below. The lighter colour against the shadowed makes it easier to recognise the figures/objects, and this is how Rubens forms his shapes. As well as being used for outlining forms, lighting is manipulated for drawing focus to things. The slain Decius Mus’ face is bathed in light from where it shines above him. It draws attention to his face, but it also fits the narrative. Decius Mus’ gaze looks upwards towards the light breaking through the clouds, representing God welcoming him to the afterlife. It shows a transition from the chaos below to the warm and peaceful life above.

Colour works alongside lighting and shadow for drawing focus and creating atmosphere. Whilst the glowing light falls on Decius’ face, his scarlet cloak and his pearly white horse capture your attention immediately. The pale horse contrast cooly agains the warmer brown and golden tones, making it more pronounce and visible. This along with it size makes it more immediately obvious and stand out. The horse being white could represent the pale horse from the book of revelation (The four horseman was death), and Decius’ scarlet cloak a symbol of blood and death. These symbols fit with the narrative and expand upon the theme of anarchy.

The painting makes use of perspective and depth to emphasise and exaggerate the raging battle. It manipulates these attributes

to make the battle scene appear larger and more chaotic. It achieves perceptive through the decreasing scale of the figures

and objects in the scene. However the centre scene looks as though it were separate from the rest of the painting. There is

almost a triangle shape over that section (From the brown horse up to the light, and then back down to the strangled man). This makes this area the main focus of the paintings, and the scene

that depicts the most important part of the story.

Peter Paul Rubens

Portrait of Maria Serra Pallavicino

This is a portrait by Rubens is called ‘Maria Serra Pallavicino’(1606). It shows a woman dressed in a lavish golden gown, and sat in a chair with a bird perched on the back. The Lady is situated in the centre of the painting for it is a portrait of her. The purpose of the painting is to capture her likeness, therefore making her the main subject. She radiates authority and wealth by her strong posture, decorated gown, and rich livings. Also her ownership of a bird show her to be one of the gentry class for they trained birds of prey for sport.

Similar to Rubens other painting, ‘The Death of Decius Mus at battle’, her shape and form is created through the use of shadows and colours. Where her hand rests on the chair you can clearly make out its shape, due to the shadows beneath it and the light on. The shadows show the depth and pronunciation of the object, which is what separates them from each other. This definition divides them and allows the viewer to plainly differentiate between the shapes. These are the lines of the painting. Whilst not obvious black lines strokes they fulfil the same purpose, which is to outline the shapes/objects.

Shadows are also used to show the varying textures of surfaces within the paintings. You can see where the fabric of her dress folds and creases, due to the shadows and highlights cast upon it. The shadows show the uneven surface of her dress and where modelling of her form can be seen underneath, whilst the bright light emphasises the silkiness of the fabric. Combined they show the varying depths/smoothnesses of the surfaces.

The use of lighting causes your attention to be caught immediately, and brings your eyes down to her knees. This is because it is where the brightest colour in the portrait is, yet the lavish gold of her gown is enough to capture you attention. The light shining on the dress casts a white golden glow which makes it look as though it were shimmering. It gives the portrait some movement and energy, as you can imagine the light glittering off the dress if the lady were alive and walking.

Rubens also draws your eye into the background by contrasting the golden dress against the pitch black background to the right. The black pushes the figure foreword, and the strategically place column on the left carries the eye into the distance. The lighter background to the bottom left of the portrait give the painting perspective and further emphasises the figure of the woman.

Peter Paul Rubens

Peter Paul Rubens ‘Battle of Anghiari’ Leonardo da VinciRubens travelled to Italy in 1600 where his eyes were opened by his contact to the works of the Italian Renaissance painters. There he studied textbooks by Leonardo da Vinci, and paintings by Michelangelo, Titian, Raphael, Veronese, and Tintoretto. His painting,‘The Death of Decius Mus at the battle’ was influenced greatly by Leonardo’s ‘Battle of Anghiari’. He did not see the original fresco as it was destroyed after its completion, yet he was able to see the composition plans made by Leonardo. The use of dense masses of horses and men locked together was derived by Leonardo. He adopts the design of piling up the bodies of horse and men to form the base of the group. This forms the structure of the paintings, which can be recognised by the rising diagonals.

http://www.liechtensteincollections.at/en/pages/artbase_main.asp?module=browse&action=m_work&lang=en&sid=87294&oid=W-1472004121953420193Great Artists by Robert Cumming

‘Portrait of a Woman with a Dog’ Veronese

Peter Paul Rubens

Rubens was particularly influenced by the rich colour and lively brushwork of the Venetian painters. He saw the work of the Venetian artists’ when he was in Venice, and in the Royal collection in Madrid he was able to see the work of Titian. Rubens mature style was profoundly influenced by Titian. He also studied the works of Veronese and Tintoretto, whose colourings and compositions had an immediate effect on his paintings. In the portrait of ‘Maria Serra Pallavicino’ Veronese and Titian can be seen as models due to how Rubens has taken aspects from their work. These things include pets that enliven the decorum of the subject, the arrested movement of the satins worn by the Lady, and the use of interrupted backgrounds. The use of colour and light has been influenced by Tintoretto’s technique, particularly the glowing dark red of the curtain and the reflections on the architecture.

Portrait of Procurator Jacopo Soranzo

http://www.peterpaulrubens.org/biography.htmlhttp://www.wga.hu/html_m/r/rubens/41portra/05pallav.html

The Merry Drinker

Frans Hals

This is a painting by Frans Hals called ‘The Merry Drinker’ (1628-39). It shows a man wearing a leather jerkin, lace collar and cuffs, and a black hat the has been tilted. He is holding a glass of white wine in his hand, whilst his right hand is making a welcome gesture. The painting is speculated to be a genre piece instead of a portrait, which in old Dutch inventories the theme of a ‘merry drinker’ appeared quite often.The man is the central focus of the painting, and the colour scheme sticks to soft blond tones. The colours in the painting are warm and inviting adding to the atmosphere of relaxation, whilst the background had been kept a simple murky yellow/brown tone, so as to keep the man the central focus.

Hals has create the shape of the ‘Merry drinker’ through the use of shadows and colours. Similar to Rubens, Hals used oils to paint his work and uses lighting and shadow to form his outlines. The shape of the man hat is clearly visible due to the lighter colour behind him, which defines the object but also shows how pronounced it is. The difference in colours, shadows, and lighting help the viewer separate the objects/shapes. Collectively they outline the shape by emphasising their pronunciation and depth within the scene.

To convey the various textures in the painting Hals combines the use of shadow, lighting, colour and line. The man’s beard and hair have been pained with wispy, straggly lines to show its varying lengths and uneven surface. The dark colours reveal the different tones in the hair, and the shadows show the volume. This makes the painting look more realistic and 3-dimensional. To further emphasis dimension Hals has painted in brighter tones where the light shines off the man’s face, beard and clothing.

The painting has been done using quick, irregular brush strokes which gives the scene vigour and energy. It enhances the liveliness of the narrative and animates the character. Up close these strokes are more apparent, but if you view the painting from a distance these lines come together to form a realistic looking image. It is an illusion which works both way: capturing a realistic looking scene, and encompassing the carefree emotion of the ‘Merry Drinker’.

Frans Hals

Banquet of the Officers of the St Hadrian Civic Guard Company

This painting by Frans Hals is called ‘Banquet of the Officers of the St Hadrian Civic Guard Company’ (1627). It shows a group of 12 men sat/standing around a table enjoying food and drink. They are animatedly celebrating/feasting with each other, but a few also look outwards at the viewer engaging them in their joyous occasion.

Like Hals painting ‘The Merry Drinker’, the brush strokes in this piece are irregular and dashed. It achieves a realistic look when viewed upon from far away, and up close it give the painting a energetic and vigorous atmosphere. It really captures the lively and joyous narrative of the painting, because the strokes seem carefree and the dashed paint give it vitality.

The joyous atmosphere is emphasised further by the smiling and rambunctious behaviour of the men in the scene. The man sat at the table is the central figure who divides the groups into two. The two groups are divided by diagonals which coincide at the seated man’s head, and then they are spread out around him with some seated and others standing. The figures are arranged in a variety of positions and movements which relates the individuals to each other or to the onlooker. Overall this creates the setting of an animated and boisterous gathering.

The colours in the painting also exaggerate the animated celebration of the men. The warm oranges and vivid reds brighten the scene, and give it energy against the dull grey background. These colours are inviting and bold further animating the scene. Whilst the reds and oranges create a friendly and warm atmosphere, the icy blue sashes worn show some restraint and decorum held by some of the company. It just controls the scenario of the painting from being an ordinary gathering and gives it some sophistication and rank. It shows the balance these men hold within their position in society: at liberty to enjoy themselves, but still keep some sense of decorum.

Again like ‘The Merry Drinker’, Hals uses shadows and lighting to form his shapes. The difference in tone and colour reveals the outline of the objects, and it also emphasises its pronunciation within the scene. For example the shapes of the men’s hats are clearly visible against the lighter wall, and the outline of the object is recognisable because of the difference in colours. This definition of the forms is used through-out the whole painting.

Texture is also shown by the manipulation of lighting and shadows. The sashes wrapped around the men’s torso’s looks silky due to how Hals has shown the light glimmering off it. The varying areas of shadows show the smoothness/unevenness of the surfaces helping to create and show the different textures. It also conveys the depth and volume, therefore revealing the texture.

Frans Hals

Hals was influence by other artists, such as Tintoretto and Titian. Like them, Hals chose to work in a very quick, painterly manner with rapid loose strokes. Tintoretto’s use of loose brush strokes showed that he worked very rapidly and briskly, often finishing works all at once. These similarities can be seen carried into Hals work.

‘Self portrait’ Tintoretto ‘The Merry Drinker’ Frans Hals

http://www.artnews.com/2013/05/29/frans-hals-haarlem-renaissance/