Landscape with Milkmaids and Cows 

Peter Paul Rubens painted this landscape with milkmaids and cows, using oil paint on panel, a common medium for the time. But look closely, and you’ll notice that the materiality of the paint is front and center here. Rubens employed a loose, expressive style, allowing the fluid quality of the oil paint to define the forms. The brushstrokes are visible, and the layering of colors creates a sense of depth and atmosphere. This technique captures the fleeting effects of light and weather on the natural world. Rubens's paintings, while seemingly traditional, played a key role in the art market, with his workshop operating something like a factory, producing works for wealthy patrons across Europe. The very concept of the 'artist' was being shaped by these economic forces, and Rubens was a master of the system. Appreciating how materials and making processes contribute to the social and cultural meaning of the work, helps us to move beyond seeing painting as simply an aesthetic object.