Rubens was the Quentin Tarantino of his day. Or at least that’s how
the Bozar in Brussels is presenting the 17th century Flemish painter in its latest exhibition.
The comparison is made because of Rubens’
almost cinematographic depiction of aggression, fighting and barbaric scenes. Many
of the Flemish master’s works are sensational: loud, forceful, and sometimes
violent, created in the service of Catholic propaganda and absolutist rulers.
Yet Rubens also had a sensual side to his
work, as seen in his informal family portraits, landscapes and pastoral
scenes, peasant dances and gardens of love.
It is these contrasting aspects of his work that are
highlighted in the exhibition ‘Sensation and Sensuality: Rubens and His Legacy’.
The exhibition comprises more than 40 works
by Rubens grouped around six themes - violence, power and lust on the one hand,
compassion, elegance, and poetry on the other.
Alongside the Rubens works are paintings by other artists - ranging from Constable to Klimt and Rembrandt to Renoir - that highlight the way in which the Flemish master has had a lasting influence on artists from the 17th century through to the present day.
Alongside the Rubens works are paintings by other artists - ranging from Constable to Klimt and Rembrandt to Renoir - that highlight the way in which the Flemish master has had a lasting influence on artists from the 17th century through to the present day.
Bozar Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels
Until January 4.
Image caption:
Peter Paul Rubens, Pan and Syrinx, 1617, Oil on panel, 40 x 61 cm, Staatliche
Museen, Kassel, Photo Ute Brunzel
