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The Massacre Of The Innocents Analysis

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The Massacre of the innocents gives the viewer a glimpse into the life and artistic journey of Flemish Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens. When one looks at the painting, it is as if they are reading the journal of the artist. The artist’s personal style, which was developed through inspiration from great artists such as Caravaggio, Michelangelo and Raphael, stands out in this painting. One can clearly see elements of the painting which have been influenced by the works of the artists that he carefully studied. (Jaffe,10)
The painting itself is an artistic representation of the account told in the Gospel where King Herod ordered the killing of infant boys. The painting was made in c.1610 BCE, has the dimensions 142 x 182 cm and uses the medium oil on wood (Jaffe, 73, 194). The painting, like many of Rubens’ artworks has a dynamic sense of movement along with the expression of the full spectrum of human emotions. Children can be seen being torn from their mother’s arms, some dead and others brutally injured. Mothers are shown mourning over the death of their child or trying to escape from the soldiers by scratching or biting (Williams, 1).
Rubens’ artistic training began in the 1590’s under the guidance of Tobias Verhaecht and Adam van Noort. However, Ruben entered his apprenticeship with Otto van Veen in 1594, who had the most profound influence on Rubens’ work in his early years. The early works of Rubens were heavily influenced by the works of Van Veen and Renaissance

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