Peter Paul Rubens - The Wolf and Fox Hunt, 1616
Now held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It shows mounted and walking hunters chasing two wolves and three foxes. The painting was completed with the help of assistants, although the wolves were painted entirely by Rubens.
It marks the beginning of an intensive creative phase in which Rubens focused on the theme of hunting.
Rubens - The Hippopotamus and Crocodile Hunt
Rubens - The Lion Hunt
Rubens - The Tiger Hunt
Rubens - The Wild Boar Hunt
Rubens - Diana Returning from Hunt, 1615
According to the date, this was actually the first of his so-called "Hunting Phase." I'm guessing it doesn't count because it doesn't show the women actually hunting down their prey, or the men hunting for fruit...
And after painting all those damned carnivores, Sir Peter was inspired by Pythagoras's speech in Ovid's Metamorphoses, he followed up with...
Pythagoras Advocating Vegetarianism, 1618
He needed help on this painting, he wasn't very good with fruit, RAW MEAT WAS his specialty after all. He needed the help of of his buddy, Frans, seriously... Frans Snyders had to paint the fruit and he received credit with Rubens on the piece.
Don't believe me? Check it out - ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST
"It was a collaboration between Rubens, who did the figures, and Frans Snyders, who did the foodstuffs. In this case Snyders painted the fruit and vegetables first and then passed the canvas over to Rubens who was careful not to paint over any of his friend's work."
See, I wouldn't make that up. Anyway, while working on the painting he became a full-blown Renaissance Pythagorean Vegetarian (RPV). Shortly after finishing the painting, he locked himself in his studio and planning to prevent partitioning of perspective profits, proceeded to polish up on his production of painted produce. Freaking unfortunate for his ill-fated friend Frans...
Sir Peter Paul Rubens (self-portrait), c. 1620s
Born - June 28, 1577 -- Died - May 30, 1640
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Poussinists and Rubenists
(Seriously simplified)
In 1671, an argument began over whether colour or line was more important in painting. The poussinists, named after Nicolas's poussin, a leading baroque style painter who favoured line over colour and had logical, clear work, followed in the French artists footsteps. The Rubenists, named after Peter Paul Rubens, a Flemish artist also influential in the baroque art movement, followed in his footsteps in prioritising colour, movement and sensuality.
This debate was only ended in 1717, when Roger de piles was elected and member of the French academy, and Antione Watteau's "The Embarkation for Cythera" was accepted as his reception piece. The successors of this debate fell mostly of the shoulders of the Rubenists.
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