Peter Rubens, one of the most successful artist in the 17th century further developed techniques such as Rembrandt and contemporary while incorporating his unique style. He captured iconic images in his paintings by using contrast and composition to show the story that takes place in his artwork. Ruben hit his stride when he created one of his most famous works, The Massacre of Innocents in 1611. It refers to a biblical fable, showing in the artwork the soldiers slay the babies in front of their mothers. The Massacre of Innocence was iconic due to the period associated with it. The artwork created during the Eighty-year war which incorporated the difficult time the country of Netherlands faced. At this time, it was completed. The massacre …show more content…
Ruben was greatly influenced by the history that occurred during this era, and also incorporated classical influence in his painting while connecting the story with a biblical fable. Furthermore, Rubens showed the use of architecture and philosophy in his paintings which helped his artwork illustrate a variety of emotions to different people. By achieving a blend of history thought the Massacre of Innocents, he creates significant meaning behind the artwork. In the Painting, it is evident that Rubens primary focus is on the use of color, line, and form to help create a psychological impact on the viewer. In the massacre of innocents, the architecture is designed to help the audience evoke emotions towards the dark buildings in the background. In the left-hand side of the painting the dark, dense, columns dominate the background which signifies the evil force as represented by the soldiers attacking the family. The background uses dark colors to help contrast with the focal point to help create an enhanced image of the soldier, baby, and mother. The massacre of the innocents was composed by using a biblical fable, contrasting colors and the influence of classical art to help communicate Rubens …show more content…
Furthermore, his primary goal was to show how inhuman the soldiers were acting when they were slaying helpless people including babies. The composition of this artwork plays a prominent role due to the fact it creates an emphasis on the focal point of the artwork. The central point in his artwork catches the audience’s attention right away, causing them to see what was happening to moms and kids during the violent war. The brutality of the war was the most important part. Therefore, Rubens put the focal point on an intense scene between a soldier, mother, and baby. The central point in the artwork is a woman in a red dress falling towards another woman that about to be killed by a soldier. The women in this scene are portrayed as mothers trying to defend their young, but the soldiers are showing no mercy and are working to slay anyone in their path. The women in the red dress are frantically scratching at the soldier's face while holding her child with her other hand. The scene shows the violence and brutality that occurred in this period by the soldiers. The women’s desperation of saving her child connects with the audience by evoking grief in the audience making them feel sorry for the mother who makes them want to take action. The focal point is further emphasis because the scene branches out showing a surplus of different