Susanna
Rubens was a master of capturing raw emotion, even in his quickest sketches. Here, he tackles the dramatic biblical tale of Susanna and the Elders. You can almost feel Susanna's panic as she crouches away, her drapery swirling around her in a chaotic dance of fear, while the two lecherous elders lurk menacingly in the background. The loose, energetic ink lines and dramatic washes show the artist working out the composition on the fly, proving his genius lay just as much in these spontaneous studies as in his massive, polished masterpieces.
Views: 8