La Sagrada familia con Santa Isabel y San Juan 

Peter Paul Reubens painted 'La Sagrada Familia con Santa Isabel y San Juan' with oil on canvas sometime before 1640. Rubens was one of the most prolific painters of the Baroque, a master of color, light, and dramatic composition. In this painting he uses a painterly approach: we see the activity of the brush, the layering of strokes, and the building up of the image gradually. This technique, involving the skilled mixing and application of pigments, creates a sense of energy. It's important to remember that oil paint itself was a relatively new technology in the 17th century, giving artists greater freedom than ever before. Rubens was a beneficiary of this innovation, and his virtuosity shows how powerful a medium it could be. Rubens's art was made possible by a workshop system. He would generate the initial designs and then delegate parts of the execution to assistants. In the end, though, it is his distinctive touch that gives these canvases their enduring appeal. It reminds us to look closely at the materials, the making, and the context to understand the full meaning of art, challenging traditional distinctions.