Paintings Of Turner And Peter Paul Rubens

By Darren Hartley


Among the most original European landscapes and seascapes were the Turner paintings. They showed mastery in British watercolour landscape painting, commonly referred to as the painting of light. Joseph Turner studied at the Royal Academy schools starting at the age of 14. Since then, he has exhibited at the Academy nearly every year for the rest of his existence.

The Fighting Temeraire has always been regarded as one of the great landscape Turner paintings. It was completed in 1839. Joseph Turner had a fascination with the powers of natured and ultimately turned this fascination into canvas. Later Turner paintings focused on the new abilities of the industrial revolution machines.

With their romanticism, Turner paintings would later have an influence on the Impressionist movement. Romanticism is itself a by-product of the Neoclassical movement that properly accounted for history through its close attention to detail. Turner paintings are credited for having embarked on a subject matter so great it actually rivalled the history genre.

Peter Paul Rubens paintings were the most influential Baroque artwork in Northern Europe. They were sensual paintings of full-bodied women which gave rise to the term Rubenesque. Peter painted many extravagant portraits of European royalty. He was called a prince of painters and a painter of princes by critics.

Peter married twice, first to Isabella Brant and then to Helene Fourment. Both of his wives were frequent subjects and inspirations of the Peter Paul Rubens paintings. It is unfortunate that only one surviving ceiling painting by Peter still remains in its original setting at the Banqueting House in London.

Massacre of the Innocents, The Horrors of War and Venus and Adonis are among the most important of Peter Paul Rubens paintings. They provide constant commemoration for one of the most famous and successful European artists of the 17th century.




About the Author: