Baroque Blog
The Baroque is a style of art that thrived in Europe
starting in Rome in the early 17th century and lasting until the mid-18th century. It has
spread rapidly to most of Northern Italy, and into many different European
countries such as France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Germany, and Poland.
Baroque art is known to use elements such as contrast, movement, and surprise
to give the artworks a sense of awe. Some known artists during this period
include Caravaggio, Peter Paul Rubens, and Artemisia Gentileschi. The artwork
that I chose to look at is known as The Garden of Love.
.jpg)
The Garden of Love was painted in 1633 by the Baroque
painter Peter Paul Rubens. It is currently being housed in the Museo Nacional
del Prado in Madrid, Spain. The painting was called "Garden Party" in
an earlier listing. It portrays a large group of well-dressed people who are
lounging in a happy and peaceful garden. Since the people in the painting are
well-dressed, this may imply that they may be wealthy. As the title says, this
garden is all about love and marriage, along with merry company.
This painting had a pretty big influence on royalty. Many people believe that this was a painting from Ruben’s collection because nobody knew much about its whereabouts after his death in 1640. This painting was first listed in the year 1666 when it was mentioned as being a part of the Royal Collection at the Real Alcazar in Madrid. One of the most interesting facts about this painting is that it was hung in the Royal Palace of Madrid at that time, right on the Spanish king’s bedroom wall. After all, not only Rubens was great at creating incredible artwork, but he was also a successful diplomat with connections in the highest circles. This showed that he had a pretty strong reputation among royalty all across Europe.
I must say that I would definitely like to own a copy of this masterpiece. I love the aesthetics used for this painting. Rubens was successful with the Baroque, using bold color choices, good movement, and high contrast of light and dark colors to draw more attention to certain parts of the painting. The color choices that Ruben used really help the painting stand out even more, making it look realistic. Overall, this painting shows us the accomplishments that were made during the Baroque period.
Citations:
The Garden of Love, 1610 by Peter Paul Rubens. Accessed March 2, 2023. https://www.peterpaulrubens.net/the-garden-of-love.jsp
Carter Art. “All about Garden of Love by Peter Paul Rubens.” Carter Art. Carter Art, February 27, 2022. https://www.carterart.art/article/all-about-garden-of-love-by-peter-paul-rubens
Hi! I analyzed The Three Graces, also by Rubens, and I find some differences in the paintings interesting. In The Three Graces, the painting is very clear but flows; in The Garden of Love, the painting is almost blurry, like what I would see if I wasn't wearing my contacts. Every time I look at this painting, I see something new due to its lack of clarity which is beautiful; I could spend hours analyzing this painting and still find new subjects. Something I love about Rubens's work is how he shades and brightens his paintings. The way the light touches the pillars and how the building is darker inside than outside. The attention to detail is beautiful. My painting was also a part of Rubens's private collection until it was sold in 1666 following his death and was a part of the King of Spain's collection.
ReplyDeleteHi Galvin, I also like the work, and I agree that the color makes it look realistic. I also noticed the horizontal line of cherubim going across the entire work. This shows God's all-encompassing love for everyone, considering they are a bit of s symbol of god's love, especially with the cupid version, giving a bit of an additional aspect of love to this garden (Cherubim angels – A guide).
ReplyDeletehttps://symbolsage.com/cherubim-angels-a-guide/
Hi Gavin, I also like the work and how realistic it is. I also noticed a horizontal line of cherubim going across the entire work. This detail shows gods all-encompassing love, considering cherubim, especially this version, is used to symbolize god's love (Cherubim angels – A guide). This adds another aspect to the love shown in the painting.
ReplyDeletehttps://symbolsage.com/cherubim-angels-a-guide/
Hi Gavin, I also like this work, especially its realistic detail. I also noticed a line of cherubim going across the entire work. This detail shows God's all-encompassing love since cherubim are used as a symbol of god's love (Cherubim angels- A guide). This gives another aspect to the love shown.
ReplyDeletehttps://symbolsage.com/cherubim-angels-a-guide/
Hi Gavin!
ReplyDeleteWow, great post! The painting you choose is incredibly appealing and very interesting. You can tell that everyone in the painting is from a higher class, they are all dressed very nice. There is a lot of happy and light hearted emotion and you can feel that by looking at it.
Hi Gavin,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I loved reading about this painting and all the interesting facts that you notated. I can tell by looking at the details in this painting that there is a lot of emotion. People are laughing and smiling and they all seem happy and in love. It also seems like the type of painting that belonged to the royal class.