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The three Graces of RUBENS: comment and analysis

Rubens' Three Graces: Commentary

Pedro Pablo Rubens (1577-1640) He is considered one of the best Flemish Baroque painters, reaching a high level of recognition in the Europe of his time. A prolific painter who managed to paint more than 3,000 works. Some works with their own and unmistakable style full of color, dynamism and sensuality, in addition to always painting muscular figures and bodies of full and carnal women faithful to the canons of beauty of the Europe of the century XVII.

In this lesson from a TEACHER we offer you the comment of The three graces by Rubens, an iconic work of this splendid author.

We started this comment from The three graces speaking of the description of this work. It is a creation painted by Rubensbetween 1636 and 1639 which was acquired by King Felipe IV. A painting belonging to Baroque, the flamenco school. Of mythological theme and in which the influence of Titian is notable, at present, The three graces It is exhibited in the Prado Museum.

It is oil on Baltic oak panel, an expensive wood with excellent finishes, ideal for the subject of the painting,

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Rubens' love for his last wife and a hymn to beauty and sensuality. Its dimensions are 221x181 centimeters and it represents the daughters of Zeus, held throughout the history of art as examples of ideal beauty.

According to the Theogony, the Graces were the daughters of Zeus and Eurynome, and their names were Áglaye (brightness), Talía (flowering) and Eufrósine (joy), three exuberant goddesses who are represented dancing united by their hands and naked, only covered by a transparent veil and surrounded by nature in which she appears accompanied by a Cupid holding a cornucopia from which water rises and a garland of flowers and a landscape with deer. The graces, which occupy the foreground and all the attention of the viewer, appear in the Iliad of Hesiod associated with the goddess Aphrodite and as symbols of love, fertility, sexuality and love.

As the experts point out, Rubens is one of the painters in the history of Art who has shown the most interest in the myth of the three Graces. A myth that he used in nine of his works and in various drawings, both as protagonists and secondary figures. This painting of The Three Graces is one of the most beautiful and ambitious both due to the dimensions of the work and the way in which he paints them.

Thus, Rubens reproduces the Thanks to the classic style, specifically that of the Roman copies of Greek sculptures and surrounded by symbolic elements such as deer, symbols of love and desire, roses as a symbol of spring, as well as associate with love and Aphrodite or Venus. The fountain represents a fountain of love with a fountain shaped Cupid and a cornucopia as a symbol of abundance. Graces are associated with love and fertility.

Curiosities of The three graces

As a curiosity, one of the three Fragrances is inspired by Rubens' second wife, Helena Fourment, a 16-year-old girl with whom Rubens, 53, felt rejuvenated, making this painting to adorn his rooms, although it ended up in the hands of Philip IV. The dedication to the young wife is evidenced in the contemporary clothes of the Graces hanging in a tree, clothes of the same colors that Helena wears in other portraits.

When Rubens passed away, his heirs sold works to Philip IV, Yes OK The three graces They do not appear on that list from 1640, but they do appear on another in the Spanish royal collection in the Alcázar of Madrid. Felipe IV acquired it between those two dates. The three graces it remained in the Royal Palace until the 18th century until, because it was considered an offensive nude, it was transferred to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando and in 1827 to the Prado Museum.

The Three Graces of Rubens: Commentary - Description of The Three Graces of Rubens

We continue with this comment from The three graces speaking of style. The work is a sample of the great technical qualities of the mature Rubens and just at the end of his career.

Between his main stylistic characteristics stands out:

  • The brushstroke is loose and manages to show all the details through color, especially when it comes to skin tones.
  • Rubens also shows a high knowledge of human anatomy, reflecting the sensuality and beauty of the female body.
  • In front of detail of the female figures and their jewels, the landscape in the background appears only sketched, without detail.
  • The light is unrealistic and passes through the trees to highlight the beauty of the three women's bodies.
  • The color predominates over the drawing and the brushstroke on the line.
  • The colors are warm, bright and bright, with the influence of Venetian painting, especially the works of Titian, and with a subtle landscape in which animals are not lacking.
  • The composition of The three graces is of elliptical garland, with round forms. An elegant and dynamic composition by offering a sensation of movement, even if the women appear to be still.
  • A movement which also prints thanks to the foreshortenings and the postures of the three graces.
  • Furthermore, the position of the women excludes the viewer and makes him almost like a voyeur who observes and surprises the Graces in a moment of enjoyment and abandonment to happiness. A ton that brings a certain erotic tinge to the work.
  • Rubens represents two of the women in his life in the painting. Thus, in addition to a Helena Fourment, also includes in the work the portrait of Isabella brant, another of his wives. Helena appears on the left, while Isabella is on the right. Experts consider that Rubens tried to honor his women with this painting, showing the scene in mythological style.
Rubens's Three Graces: Commentary - Analysis of Rubens's Three Graces: Characteristics of Style

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The three graces It is a work of the Baroque, specifically of the Catholic Baroque. A movement promoted by the Church as a counterpoint to Protestantism. In the case of flamenco school, of which Rubens is the leader, opted to put their art at the service of the Catholic Church, but with a more optimistic and vital spirit, far from the asceticism and mysticism shown by the Baroque Spanish.

The Baroque, a term that tried to underline the excessive aspects of this type of style in the eyes of Neoclassicism, it was an art at the service of the monarchs of the time. A style that reflects grandeur, triumphalism and showiness of the European courts and monarchs such as the Sun King or the Austrian court.

On the other hand, this style also became the way in which the Catholic Church faced the Protestant Reformation. The Counter-Reformation in Holland, Germany and Northern Europe will acquire a more bourgeois air.

A difference that responds to the conversion of Holland to Calvinism and to the desire of the Dutch bourgeoisie to become independent from Spain. The painters will make paintings with religious themes related to the saints or sacraments, but prioritizing the mythological themes and, especially, portraits as a way of showing the social status of the bourgeoisie enriched by trade and crafts. Something to which Rubens dedicated himself, becoming one of the most sought after artists.

Rubens' Three Graces: Commentary - Commentary on The Three Graces and Its Historical Context

We end this comment from The three graces offering a broader view of its author. Rubens, classically trained, made a great artistic production, taking place all of it in a very turbulent time from the political and religious point of view, with numerous conflicts between the Spanish crown and the Netherlands. Rubens got the patronage of Rome, France or Spain for the realization of his works.

A patronage that was embodied in his early works, most of religious character. Thus, between 1600 and 1600, the years in which he resided in Italy, Rubens turned to exalting the human character of Christ, the saints and virgins. Some works commissioned by the church and the nobles among which some portraits also stand out, such as, for example, the Portrait of María Serra Pallavicino.

Between 1608 and 1621, Rubens resided in Antwerp, doing some of his best works such as the Descent of Christ. But the most prestigious moment for Rubens was the decade of 1621 to 1630, receiving commissions from both royal houses and noble families and the Church.

His last stage, after marrying the young Helena Forment in 1630, is characterized by his desire to celebrate beauty, sensuality and joy. That's when he paints the Three Graces as a way to celebrate his vital and happy state of mind after his second marriage. A work with which he created a great personal connection.

Thus, Rubens managed to provide a different and original character to Flemish painting. Although he dealt with religious themes, Rubens always printed a more optimistic and cheerful character in his treatment of him.

Rubens 'Three Graces - Commentary - Rubens' Artistic Career
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