The Lion Hunt 1621

Peter Paul Reubens’ ‘The Lion Hunt,’ now in the Alte Pinakothek, Munich, was made with oil paint, applied to a very large canvas. Think about the making of this picture, in terms of labor. Not just Rubens's own effort, and the preparation of the canvas, pigments and brushes. But the amount of highly skilled work required to achieve this degree of illusion. The rich surface we see results from layers of translucent glazes, each one carefully applied. It gives a sense of volume and movement that's really breath-taking. Remember, this was before photography: to achieve this level of realism involved years of apprenticeship, and careful observation of anatomy and light. The fact that Rubens could realize it at such a large scale also speaks to the social and political context. He was painting for patrons who valued this combination of skill and theatricality, and who had the resources to commission paintings on this scale. So, looking at Rubens, we're not just looking at the surface of a canvas, but a whole world of workshop practice and social power.