1610_Raising_of_the_Cross_Rubens.txt http://www.artbible.info/art/large/519.html Peter Paul Rubens 1577 – 1640 Raising of the Cross oil on panel (centre panel: 460 × 340 cm, wings: 460 × 150 cm) — 1610 Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp This work is linked to Matthew 27:35 This famous triptych was made for the church of St-Walpurgis in Antwerp. Since 1815 it is on display in the cathedral of Our Lady, also in Antwerp. There it is a companion to another famous Rubens triptych: the Deposition. Contrary to many other triptychs, here the panels tell one story. The centre panel is filled with drama and power. The strong, tainted figures lug the ropes in order to raise the cross, carrying the pale body of Jesus. The influence of Michelangelo and Tintoretto on Rubens is obvious in the muscular bodies. To the left is a group of spectators, with John the Evangelist and Mary standing aside a group of women. On the right panel are Roman soldiers and the two criminals who also were to be crucified. Peter Paul Rubens biography Peter Paul Rubens 1577 - 1640 A.k.a. Pieter Pauwel Rubens, South Netherlandish painter and draughtsman, famous during his life and thereafter. At first Rubens paints mainly biblical and mythological tableaux, while his Antwerp period (1608-1618) is characterized by its abundance of portraits. After Rubens retires to his country estate 't Steen at Elewijt in 1635, he dedicates himself to landscape painting. Between 1600 en 1608 Rubens travels through Spain and Italy, where he is influenced by the likes of Michelangelo and Raphael. Back in Antwerp in 1609 he marries Isabella Brandt. After her death in 1620 Rubens sets out on his travels once again, marrying Hélène Fourment in 1630. Rubens is the embodiment of Flemish baroque. His temperament helps him break with the reigning, rigid style of his day. Characteristic of his work are the many voluptuous nudes, chubby to modern standards. Rubens draws more commissions than he can handle; in his workshop others do much of his work for him. Rubens dies in 1640.