Finally, after ten years of
unpopularity, it began to become desirable in London. The Messiah consists of
three parts. The first part begins with angels announcement of the Messiah’s
coming arrival and the birth of Christ. The second part has been described as
…the accomplishment of redemption by the sacrifice of Jesus, mankind’s rejection
of God’s offer and mankind’s utter defeat when trying to oppose the power of the
Almighty. The third part shows the need for faith in Christ as our Redeemer.3
The Messiah also contained over fifty movements, the most famous being the
Hallelujah Chorus at the end of part two. The last years of Handel’s life were
lived in loneliness. he was troubled by failing sight which led to temporary
blindness. He attempted to improve the condition of his eyes by having three
operations on them, all resulting in failure and total blindness. Both without
wife and children, he slowly began to shut himself off from the world. He ended
his life as a wealthy man, owning several Rembrant paintings and having a large
fortune which was ultimately passed on to relatives, friends, and charitable
organizations.
near to his death, he expressed his desire to find his last rest
in Westminster Abbey. The English, who confirmed Handel’s citizenship, respected
his wishes and he was buried in the south transept of the cathedral. On April
20, 1759, 3000 people followed his coffin, which was draped in red velvet. Since
1762, a sculpture of Handel has adorned his resting place. the blind eyes look
upward, the right hand holds a sheet of music with the inscription: I know that
my Redeemer livith.1 Peter Paul Rubens is considered one of the most important
Flemish painters of the 17th century. His style became an international
definition of the animated, exuberantly sensuous aspects of baroque painting.
Rubens combined the bold brushwork, luminous color, and shimmering light of the
Venetian style with the vigor of Michelangelo’s style of art. Rubens was born in
exile at Siegen, Westphalia, where his father had become the advisor and lover
of Princess Anna of Saxony. After the death of his father in 1587, Rubens mother
moved the family back to Antwerp.
After studying the classics in a Latin school,
and serving as a court page, Rubens decided to become a painter. He apprenticed
with Tobias Verhaecht, Adam van Noort, and Otto van Veen, three minor Flemish
painters influenced by the 16th century Mannerist artists of the Florentine –
Roman school. By the age of 21, the young Rubens was awarded the rank of master
painter of the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke.4 Like many of the European artists,
Rubens felt the need to travel to Italy, the center of European art for the
previous two centuries. In 1600 he arrived in Venice where he was inspired by
the paintings of Titian, Paolo Veronese, and Tintoretto. For the next nine
years, Rubens was employed by Vincenzo Gonzaga who was the duke of Mantua from
1587 to 1612. In the year 1608, Rubens went back to Antwerp for the funeral of
his mother. While in Antwerp, Rubens met Isabella Brant who he married in 1609.4
The success and reputation of Rubens had followed him back to Antwerp where
began to work for the Austrian archduke Albert and his wife Isabella. The number
of pictures requested from Rubens was so large that he established an enormous
workshop in which the master did the initial sketch and final touches, while his
apprentices completed all the intermediary steps. Between 1622 and 1630, Rubens
value as a diplomat was equal to his importance as a painter. Rubens continued
to work until he was physically unable to do so any longer and in 1640 he died.
Rubens created many popular paintings and drawing during his lifetime including
his paintings, The Judgement of Paris and Adoration of the Magi. The concerns of
Rubens’ late style and his whole career are summarized in The Judgement of
Paris. In this painting, voluptuous goddesses are posed against a verdant
landscape, with both the goddesses and the landscape symbolizing the richness of
creation. The color is luxuriant, light and shadow glow, and the brushwork is
incredible.
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