cavetocanvas:

Peter Paul Rubens, Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus, 1617

Upon his return to Antwerp after a decade in Italy, Rubens began to paint mythological subjects such as this one for various patrons. In this scene, Castor and Pollux swoop down to kidnap two women; abduction scenes were popular during this time. There’s an undulating, circular motion to the painting; it spirals around the circular point of the central woman, and with the figures placed in the foreground, it’s impossible to look away. Rubens diffuses any act of violence with the details; the woman in the center is resting her hand lightly on her abductor’s arm, and the kneeling woman’s foot is placed delicately on top of one of the brother’s foot near the bottom of the painting. Rubens uses color to guide the viewer’s eyes through the composition; the red cloth weaves in and out of the figures, a common motif that Rubens uses in various paintings. The women are both fleshy, large, and heroic; typical Rubanesque figures. The setting and landscape in the background was probably completed by workshop assistants; Rubens ran a tight and highly methodical workshop in order to accomodate the numerous commissions he received upon his return from Italy.