Few other artists have had such an impact on European Baroque painting as Peter Paul Rubens. He was inspired not only by ancient and contemporary sculptures, but also by paintings, for example by Titian, Tintoretto, Elsheimer or Goltzius. For the first time, the exhibition impressively shows Rubens' approach to his predecessors and makes clear why he is still one of the most famous artists of all today.
The Städel Museum is dedicating a comprehensive special exhibition to the world-famous artist Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) entitled "Rubens. Power of Transformation". On the basis of around 100 works - including 31 paintings and 23 drawings by Rubens - the show highlights a hitherto little-noticed aspect of the master's creative process: it shows how deeply Rubens entered into dialogue with works of art by famous predecessors and contemporaries, and how this shaped his fifty-year creative career. Rubens' extensive oeuvre reflects the influences of ancient sculpture as well as those of later art from Italy and north of the Alps, from the masters of the late 15th century to his contemporaries. His references to works by artists of different epochs are often only recognizable at second glance - in the lavishly staged exhibition, visitors can now trace the sometimes surprising correlations in detail. The show, which transcends genre boundaries, brings together painting, drawing, prints, sculpture and works of applied art. In addition to original sculptures from antiquity to the Renaissance, paintings and prints by Rubens' predecessors and contemporaries will be on view, including key works by Titian and Tintoretto, by Goltzius, Rottenhammer, and Elsheimer, as well as by Giambologna, Van Tetrode, and Van der Schardt.
An exhibition of the Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main, and the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna.
Source and further information: http://www.staedelmuseum.de/de/rubens
