Peter Paul Rubens St. George and the Dragon - 2895 Words

Peter Paul Rubens perfectly represents artistic traditions and philosophical beliefs of the Baroque period because of Ruben’s techniques and subject matter. These techniques include the strong contrast between light and dark, the usage of rich, flamboyant colors which is offset by a dark background, the depiction of motion and facial expressions, the rendering of high detail, the naturalistic rather than ideal figures, the enlarges sense of space, the aim to create a dramatic effect, the theme of religion, the display of power and dramatic intensity, and the appealing to the spirit through the senses. The subject matter of the Baroque Era was often of religious scenes. The term Baroque originally meant overdone – too many notes in music,†¦show more content†¦In conclusion, the painting Saint George and the Dragon fits its art period, the Baroque Era due to a number of reasons. These reasons include the strong contrast between light and dark, the usage of rich, flamboyant colors which is offset by a dark background, the depiction of motion and facial expressions, the rendering of high detail, the naturalistic rather than ideal figures, the enlarges sense of space, the aim to create a dramatic effect, the theme of religion, the display of power and dramatic intensity, and the appealing to the spirit through the senses. The painting includes all of the above reasons. The term Baroque originally meant overdone – too many notes in music, too much color in painting, and too grand in architecture. Eventually, Baroque has come to become characterized by elaborate ornamentation, the aim to create a dramatic effect, the appealing of the spirit through the senses, enlarged space, heightened sensuality and spirituality, and highly ornate. Baroque art started in the Catholic countries as a reaction to the Protestant reformation as a way to bring people back into the Catholic Church. For this reason, Rubens was often commissioned by the church to paint various pieces. Through his paintings he created a vivid, dramatic mode of expression that was later called Baroque. The unique qualities of