Today we discussed the Baroque in the Netherlands, and broke the class up into discussing about artwork in the Spanish Netherlands and artwork in the Dutch Republic, which is present-day Netherlands. In the 16th century, European countries had to choose which religion they would embrace, as the influence of the Reformation was huge. The Netherlands was split between the north and south, with the north embracing Calvinism and the south embracing Catholicism. The Treaty of Westphalia granted autonomy in the north. The most influential artist in the Spanish Netherlands was Peter Paul Rubens. He was born in Germany, then moved to Antwerp, where he converted to Catholicism. This area was under Spanish rule, and he learned to behave in an upper-class society at a young age. He was impressed by Caravaggio’s artwork when visiting Rome in 1601, and many of his artworks were inspired by Caravaggio’s light and darkness contrast.
One of Peter Paul’s most influential pieces was his “Elevation of the Cross,” which was constructed from 1610 to 1611 in Antwerp. The format of the work is old fashioned, and based on the “Merode Triptych” structure in 1425. The triptych displayed in the artwork was decided by the commissioners, not Peter Paul himself. The work calls to mind things the way they were before the Reformation, a time when Catholicism dominated Europe. Only one scene is depicted despite, three different panels, so there is not a continuous narrative. The left side represents people who are friends of Christ, the “good guys.” The right ide represents the “bad guys.” This is an instantaneous action, with the Cross being elevated, which is representative of the nature of baroque art.