Peter Paul Rubens Baroque Portrait Paintings

 Peter Paul Rubens Baroque Portrait Paintings

Here is the first Portrait by Peter Paul Rubens. In the Baroque period, for the most part, Portraits where supposed to tell you something about the subject. It was either their power or personality. Here we see a prominent textile merchant of Persian rugs. He is standing over one of his fancy rugs. He is dressed like a Persian. His pose stands for power. His gaze is penetrating. This is one formidable fellow. In any case, this baroque painting deserves 5 stars rating.

In this painting, we see a random scholar. He has a book in his hand. He seems like he is about to speak. The scenery is reminds me a bit of the Mona Lisa background. Putting Nature as a background was pretty common. The guy is dressed darker to stick out against the light background. He kinda looks like he has his hand outside the border of the painting. This was a pretty neat illusionist trick adopted by the Still Life artists of Holland. In any case, this pretty portrait of this random weirdo deserves 5 stars rating.

In this painting, we see a pretty maiden dressed in black. Black back then was a fashionable color. It was a sign of status and money.  You see, black dye was the most expensive. If you notice, around the edges of the veil you can see some fancy gold borders. The pearl necklace is a nice detail. The way she is wrapping herself with the veil is quite modest. Thus, this painting shows both her feminine and financial aspects. Pretty neat if you ask me. In any case, Peter Paul Rubens deserves 5 stars rating.

This one is more of a state Portrait. This one was meant to show the power and authority of a Monarch. The fancy dress of this maiden alone shows that she is rolling in wealth. The flowers stand for her femininity. The red velvet curtain stands for the power of the rulers. It also represents her royal bloodline. The Greek Pillars claim that she is the pillar of strength for Austria. It also stands for Renaissance education. The Saint behind the column stand for her Catholic inclination. By observing all the elements we know everything all about this queen. Truly, this serious maiden deserves 5 stars rating.

This is another painting of a monarch. He is standing in the traditional kingly pose. His attire is richly adorned. He is resting his hand on top of the hilt of his sword. It has a neat foreshortening. The sword stands for both manliness and military prowess. He is a man of action. He almost seems like he is about to speak. You cannot be a statesman, without being good at public speaking. In any case, this lovely painting deserves 5 stars rating.

This stately portrait is simple enough. We see his fancy black suit. He is gazing at the viewer. He has a funny Mona Lisa smile. The background is pure darkness, mimicking Caravaggio's light and darkness motif. Well, lets just move right along. 5 stars rating for this fancy painting made by Peter Paul Rubens.

Infanta means princess. Well, in the old day, when kings and queens got tired of court life, they joined a monastery. This did not necessarily mean an end to their duties. However, they at least got to live simpler lives while maintaining their country. This maiden herself is still the ruler of the Netherlands. I like the strange halo glow around her head. It really makes her look saintly. In any case, Rubens deserves 5 stars rating for this fancy portrait.

Again, we see the pillar and the velvet rug background. Aside from showing strength and nobility, they helped to take care of the background problem. Another interesting little detail is the half open study Bible in the hand of this maiden. This shows her religiosity. The fancy black attire and the jewelry stand for wealth. Well, this is all I can read out of this portrait. 5 stars for Peter Paul Rubens.

Here, train refers to one's line of loyal followers. Her closets companion is her dog. Rubens took lots of pain to make him look muscular and manly (I.E. his doggie parts). He is the only figure she is showing some kind of affection. Beside her dog, we see her main pet midget. He has his hand on the dog while he waves the flag behind the lady. On her right, we see her other midget with her falcon. Both the dog and the falcon are hunting animals, it alludes to her liking of the thrill of the hunt. Behind her, we see her main adviser standing in a noble pose. The columns resemble Bernini's Badicchino. It alludes to her strong ties with Rome. The Persian rug shows her money management capabilities. Her fancy dress and jewelry, also stand for wealth. The background scenery is just for fun. In any case, this lovely baroque Portrait deserves 5 stars rating.

In this painting, we see this nobleman with an open book. I suppose he is either a preacher or a philosopher. The background is a library. Behind him we see a bust of Plato. This shows that this man is antiquated with Greek classics. The odd round shape background alludes to the location in churches where mass is celebrated by the Priests. Well, let us just move right along. 5 stars for Peter Paul Rubens' Baroque portrait.

In this painting, we see a random Cardinal. I do not know his name. He looks very young for his station. In the old days, the Medicci appointed members of their family to take up high positions in Rome. This young kid seems to be of the sort. In any case, this Baroque painting deserves 5 stars rating.

In this portrait, Rubens aims to portray the piety of his sitter. He has the priest in a kneeling, praying position. The funny looking hat was worn during mass. The staff is like those used by shepherds to guide their flock. It is a common Catholic metaphor to describe the priest's relationship with their lay followers. The ring also served as the official seal in those days. Well, let us just move right along. 5 stars for Peter Paul Rubens.

This guy is really cool looking for being a Cardinal. Well, most Cardinals ,in those days, rarely tended to their flock. Here this Cardinal prince is leading his army. Like a crusader, an angel is guiding his righteous onslaught. Yeah, its nice to have God on your side. His black steed looks really cool. It matches well the Cardinal's black armor. Truly, this totally amassing battle portrait deserves 5 stars rating.

This painting focuses on this maiden's straw hat. The Lady's clothing do look really pretty . By now, you noticed a small fashion change. The cloudy background works pretty well. In any case, this gentlewoman deserves 5 stars rating.

You got to love those Counts and their knightly descent. This guy's sovereign right is depended on his knightly lineage. For this reason, he is sporting a knights armor in this painting. The sole light falls on his stern face. Kinda reminds me of one of those serious realistic Roman busts. Lets just wrap things up. 5 stars. I hope that you like this small portrait blog. They are all really neat. More are on the way. I really got to finish with my Rubens review.