Massacre Of The Innocents By Peter Paul Rubens Essay
980 Words4 Pages
However, there are others which narrate a specific event to present the crisis the society was living through. ‘Massacre of the Innocents’ by Peter Paul Rubens, painted through 1611-1612, is a perfect example of this. The large oil painting is very dramatic yet saddening due to its content. By painting this event, the artist communicates with the viewer to obviously indicate that their society were experiencing a dark period. Not only this, but the dramatic movements of the figures and chiaroscuro used indicate that the painting is categorized as a Baroque styled piece. Overall, ‘Massacre of the Innocents’ by Peter Paul Rubens communicates the ideals of its society through the techniques used in the period, the event it presents, as well as the artists ability to present numerous feelings throughout the artwork.…show more content… (Haverkamp-Begemann, 510) Artists often used the movement to depict “religious scenes enacted by ordinary people in ordinary settings.” (Stokstad 368) The painting ‘Massacre of the Innocents’ by Peter Paul Rubens is a precedent of the Baroque period. Throughout the painting, the artist used rich and harmonious colours, such as royal blue and bright red, to signify the main subject in the painting. The composition is very busy, filled with human figures acting and moving dramatically, therefore making the painting more interesting. The artwork also continually uses chiaroscuro which allows the painting to have a sense of depth. (Mcmahon, 33) This painting became widely recognized because of the use of these features, which made each work unique and interesting, as well as influenced many future artists and movements. (Haskell, 104) The Baroque also style had the ability to narrate a story, which became important to each society and the movement then became a success. Therefore, ‘Massacre of the Innocents’ communicates the ideals of its society through these