In The Elevation of the Cross (Rubens), how is the The artists' workshop discussed?
Peter Paul Rubens was not fully responsible for the creation of this artwork, which is the reality for many of Rubens's paintings. The period after which Rubens arrived in Antwerp was a particularly busy time for the painter, and consisted of responsibilities beyond painting. Rubens was head of a workshop that consisted of a hierarchy of pupils, assistants, and collaborators – all of which played an important role in the creation of the painting. Rubens would have done all the sketches and designs for the works being created in his workshop.
In terms of the Elevation of the Cross, Rubens started the creative process with oil and brush on a small panel. Also called a modello, this oil sketch served as a sample painting for the patron to approve the overall story and imagery, especially paying attention to the iconographic details. The modello also served as a model for the assistants to start the preliminary steps of the full scale painting. No major iconographic changes were made in the case of Rubens's Elevation of the Cross, but a few details such as the position of the cross were adjusted. From the modello to the Antwerp triptych, Rubens exchanged the figure of a fleeing Niobid on the right wing for that of a son of Niobe lying on the ground. In the radical foreshortening of this figure he was able to demonstrate his mastery of art to the connoisseurs of his time.Once the assistants had established the general composition, Rubens turned his attention towards the human figures. In this stage, Rubens used chalk to make drawings with live models present, positioning the models in the various poses as predetermined in the modello. These separate drawings were used in conjunction with the modello in the final execution of the large scale painting. Rubens made sure to touch up all the paintings once the assistants had completed their portion.
Peter Paul Rubens iconographic Antwerp modello triptych Rubens foreshortening