The Discovery of the Child Erichthonius 1615

"The Discovery of the Child Erichthonius" was painted by Peter Paul Rubens using oil paints on a large canvas. Rubens was a master of oil painting, known for his expressive brushwork, rich colors, and dynamic compositions. He used thin layers of paint, called glazes, to achieve a luminous effect, evident in the figures' skin. But look closely and you'll see that the dynamism in the work comes from the materiality of the oil paint itself, smoothly blended to create the illusion of soft skin, or dabbed with the end of the brush to create the texture of the foliage in the background. The creation of such a large-scale painting involved a team of assistants, each specializing in different aspects of the composition. This collaborative approach was common in Rubens's workshop, reflecting the guild system that regulated artistic production in 17th-century Europe. The value of a painting was tied to the cost of labor, materials, and the artist's skill. Rubens's workshop was a thriving business, producing paintings for wealthy patrons and demonstrating the complex relationship between art, commerce, and social status. Rubens challenges us to look beyond the beauty of the finished product and consider the labor and craftsmanship that went into its creation.