As I had mentioned in my profile a while ago, I am a fan of Peter Paul Rubens since 6th grade or so. The first painting that drew my attention was the artist's portrait of his son. How could anybody paint as if it was a photograph? Now of course I know that the painter used more than paint to get the surface as smooth as that of a glossy photo.
Recently I became reacquainted with Rubens through two encounters.
One took place in the LOUVRE: While wandering around among the paintings I came across
this marvelous double portrait of Peter Paul Rubens with his young protege van Dyck.
Even today Rubens strikes us as an affable, winning personality.
The second connection was a colleagues recommendation of
Master of Shadows: The Secret Diplomatic Career of the Painter Peter Paul Rubens
Mark Lamster
(Author)
