Scribner III, Charles. Peter Paul Rubens. New York: Harry N. Adams Inc., 1989.
This book is a colorful monograph of Rubens works accompanied by descriptive texts. The beginning of the book is dedicated to a short biography of the artist. The author focuses on Rubens, not as the artist, but as the humanist. Rubens was an extension of Renaissance thought. There were no limitations to what he could accomplish. Apart from being the leading painter in Europe during the Baroque period, he was also a diplomat for England, France, and Spain. He was also an antiquitarian, a scholar, an architect, and a correspondent in many languages. His friend General Ambrogio Spinola said of him: 'Of all his talents, painting is the least.'
So far, Rubens, has been the only artist to move me in any way since I studied Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci in high school. What I like most about his work is the life he puts into his brushstrokes. Every brushstroke, when separated from the others, has a special character to it. He could control paint on a large scale that is fascinating to me. He also had workshops filled with skilled assistant artists, (which I do not agree with), that executed many of his larger projects under his directions and guidance. Rubens was a master of the human figure and could paint it in any position he wanted it to be in. This leads me to believe that his figures are idealized and stylized to his own liking. It seems to me that many of his figures look the same throughout his works. He may have had a formula for painting the figure as a cartoonist has a formula for drawing Snoopy or Garfield. Once you draw the same figure repeatedly, you become accustomed to it and can easily manipulate it to your needs.
However, despite Rubens use of idealized figures, I am impressed by his use of color. His flesh tones are alive! The figures are living and breathing with life. There are hints of blues just beneath the surface of the skin where it would be it thinnest to suggest veins. The colors that he uses for clothing and robes are phenomenal. They are luminous and bright without a hint of impurity or muddiness. Rubens achieved this by carefully planning a painting ahead of time by filling in the dark areas early with thin transparent paint. By keeping the shadows thin, he could easily establish a contrast with heavy opaque lights. Between these two opposites, he would apply saturated, pure local color to bring the form to life. All of the shadow areas of his paintings are flat, yet luminous. Form is shown in the lights and highlights.
The style of Rubens has inspired me greatly in the past few weeks. This book was a great boost for that inspiration. After looking at some reproductions in this book, I just had to paint a copy from at least one of them before I returned the book to the library. However, this book may have to become another addition to my art reference library so I will always have it nearby when I need a boost in the future.
Charles Scribner III received his Ph.D. in art history from Princeton University. Since then he has entered his family's publishing firm and is currently a vice president of Macmillan Publishing Company, New York.