Ruben’s Cycle, Portraits of a Queen

Rubens, Peter Paul. The Journey of Marie de’ Medici. 
1622-1625. Musee d’ Louvre. Paris, France

Peter Paul Rubens was one of the preeminent painters of the Baroque period. He had a unique perspective on the female form preferring to highlight the sensuous curves in his nudes rather than a leaner version favored by his peers. It is for this he is best known and the phrase “Rubenesque” was coined to describe a curvier woman. However, he should be remembered also for his diplomatic and academic endeavors as well both notable for the time. A career diplomat, he travelled throughout Europe and was said to be “fluent in six modern languages and to have read Latin fluidly,” (Wadsworth 372). By any estimation Rubens was a true genius to have accomplished so much and deserving of his title as the most prominent Flemish painter of the Baroque period. 

Rubens, Peter Paul. Self-portrait. 1639. 
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria

One of his best known works was actually a collection of paintings commissioned by Marie de’ Medici, wife and widow of Henry IV of France, mother to King Louis XIII, to document her life. Looking at the painting The Journey of Marie de’ Medici, one can see the influence of the Renaissance masters on Rubens work. Unlike some of the more rigid and stiff Baroque paintings of his peers, Rubens work is injected with life, color and action. He seamlessly integrates the real subject with the ethereal presence of mythological characters. 

This painting was one of 24 large scale paintings, this one measuring almost 15 feet tall and 9 and half feet wide, created to adorn the walls of Luxembourg palace in Paris. The paintings took 3 years to complete (1622-1625) and were likely painted in part by Rubens team of assistants. More details on the Marie de’ Medici Cycle are available here http://www.indigogeorge.com/arthistory/2015/3/31/the-marie-de-medici. This painting currently hangs in The Louvre and I can say from personal experience is breathtaking to behold. I have presented in large format to reinforce the large size and grandeur of this painting.

WORKS CITED

Cunningham, Lawrence and John Reich, eds. Culture and Values: A Survey of the Humanities. Vol 2. Wadsworth, 2005.