The 100 famous paintings that tell the story of Rubens

Peter Paul Rubens dominates Flemish Baroque painting with an energy that does not hold still. Trained between Antwerp, Italy, the European courts and the great models of Titian, Michelangelo, Veronese and Caravaggio, he composed a broad, carnal, scholarly and spectacular painting. Bodies turn, draperies fly, horses rear, angels descend, saints resist and light generally enters with more confidence than a master of ceremonies.

Rubens' strength lies in his blend of culture and vitality. He knows mythology, the Bible, history, politics and court codes, but he never paints like a tidy dictionary. The Judgment of Paris, Venus and Adonis, The Three Graces or the scenes of Bacchus show an assumed sensuality, warm skin tones, circular gestures and a unique way of moving the composition without letting it go on an uncontrolled walk.

The large altarpieces give another measure of his talent. The Elevation of the Cross and The Descent from the Cross are not only religious images: they are visual machines where each arm, each diagonal, each fold and each look pushes the scene towards drama. Rubens knows how to make faith physical, almost muscular. We are not faced with polite meditation; we are faced with a painting that lifts its subject with both hands.

Rubens is also a remarkable portrait painter. His portraits of Hélène Fourment, her children, sovereigns, aristocrats or friends show a more intimate attention to flesh, fabric, gaze and social rank. The pageantry does not always crush the person: it surrounds them, makes them shine, gives them a place in the world. Even when a collar, a sleeve or a hat takes up a lot of space, the face rarely remains extra.

The cycle of Marie de Medici reveals the Rubens diplomat, strategist and director. It transforms a complicated political life into official mythology, mixing portraits, ancient gods, allegories, peace, war, marriage, power and reconciliation. The painting here serves to tell, convince and impress. This could be called political communication, but with more drapery and significantly more panache.

The scenes of hunting and violence, such as lion, tiger, wild boar or hippo hunts, show his taste for maximum tension. Human, animal and horse bodies wrap themselves in the same storm. Danger becomes composition, fear becomes diagonal, dust becomes almost color. Rubens does not look for the calm little anecdote; he prefers the moment when everyone should have read the "attention" sign.

His workshop also explains the scope of his work. Rubens designs, draws, corrects, supervises and collaborates with specialized painters like Frans Snyders for animals and still lifes. This organization does not reduce his genius; on the contrary, it shows the power of a master capable of thinking about painting on a large scale. A Rubens painting can be intimate, but his imagination likes high ceilings.

For an interior, Rubens brings a very different presence from an impressionist or a silent painter. His works give movement, warmth, substance and an immediately readable intensity. A portrait of Hélène Fourment brings carnal sweetness, a Venus adds mythology, a chase gives nerve, an altarpiece sets up drama. The wall does not remain neutral: it gains a little momentum, which can be very useful in a room that is too wise.

This Top begins with the most famous works, then expands towards portraits, sketches, saints, allegories, political cycles, mythologies, landscapes and animal scenes. Rubens is not only the painter of opulent bodies, even if reputation does not come out of nowhere. He is a master of invention, rhythm, color and composition. In short: when Rubens enters a ranking, the frames straighten up slightly.