(b. 1577, Siegen, d. 1640, Antwerpen)

Assumption of the Virgin 1626 Oil on panel, 490 x 325 cm O.-L. Vrouwekathedraal, Antwerp

The Antwerp Cathedral was given a new marble high altar during the baroque refurbishment that reached a peak around the beginning of the 17th century. Rubens, by then the most famous artist of his day, was commissioned to paint an altarpiece.

The image of the Assumption of the Virgin does not derive from the Bible but from an ecclesiastical tradition that took shape in the Middle Ages. By the 16th century, it had become a popular theme. The depiction of the Virgin, with her fluttering robe and swirling head-dress, is graceful and lively. She is borne up to heaven in a cloud by playful putti. Two angels at the top left of the painting are about to crown her with a garland of roses. The twelve apostles stand around her sarcophagus at the bottom. The three women who, according to legend, laid out the Virgin's body are also included. The attractive woman in the middle, wearing a red dress, is given greater prominence than the other bystanders. Her features are those of Rubens' wife, Isabella Brant, who died in June 1626, while the artist was working on this painting.

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Author: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel Title: Assumption of the Virgin Time-line: 1601-1650 School: Flemish Form: painting