Peter Paul Rubens
Flemish
1577– 1640
Religion was much more than a preference or an opinion; Religion was a way of life in the Baroque Netherlands. One cannot consider the art of the day, without first considering the religion of the day.
Catholicism and Protestantism have unfortunately been at odds for many centuries. This stems from differing worldviews. Martin Luther outwardly opposed some Catholic practices, thereby starting a rift that quickly divided Europe in half: Protestants in the North and Catholics in the South. John Calvin added some order and clarity to Luther’s ideals, and Calvinism sprang up across the land.
Catholicism was the majority religion in Antwerp from about 1560-1648. Peter Paul Ruben’s father was a lawyer in Antwerp, and a passionate Calvinist. Oppression forced him to seek work in Germany until his death. His mother returned to Antwerp shortly after his death and raised Peter as a Catholic. It was this Catholic upbringing that played a large part in Ruben’s success as an artist.
As far as the Fine Arts are concerned (which is where I will concern myself), Catholics tended to favor highly decorative worship spaces, while the Protestants preferred a cleaner, almost sterile space to worship.
A little background will help to understand how this came about.
Throughout Medieval times the only art to be seen was religious art, preferring symbolism to realism (the halo over a saint’s head originated then). The Renaissance, which followed, sought to depict the “Ideal Man” in a realistic and humanistic way. Shortly after the Renaissance period, emerged Protestantism, and with Protestantism came vastly different views about art and its connection to religion.
John Calvin stated emphatically that art had no place in the church, and that any depiction of biblical subjects was inappropriate. While the Catholic stance was entirely opposite, dictating that all art must be religious art. As a result of the Reformation, Northern Europe and Southern Europe developed two entirely different styles and temperaments towards Art. Northern artists specialized in portraits, and scenes of the everyday. The Southern artists painted graphic illustrations of martyred saints and depictions of major biblical figures and events.
Rubens success was largely due to his Catholic upbringing. The reason for this was primarily because of the burgeoning developments in the Catholic church that led to many commissions and patrons for the young artist. He was, in fact, to become the foremost painter of the Counter-Reformation. His painting “Raising of the Cross” and “The Descent From The Cross” are generally acknowledged as prime examples of this era. Protestant artists could choose to paint religious scenes, but this would have to be for their own pleasure, as churches did not commission them nor were there patrons. For Rubens, however, he was paid handsomely and commissioned often for his large paintings in the grand style.
Yet, It must have occasionally bothered Peter to think of his father, the passionate Calvinist, who surely would have disapproved of his life as an artist- even the most successful artist in all of Europe.