Peter Paul Rubens' "Prometheus Bound"

A detailed Summary of Peter Paul Rubens' "Prometheus Bound"

The piece Prometheus Bound is based upon the mythological story of the Titan Prometheus who stole fire from the gods to give to mankind.(web 3) This work, which was completed in 1612, has a very interesting and diverse history.

Flemish baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens was born June 28, 1577. By the age of 21 Rubens had become a master painter. At 21, Rubens traveled to Italy to continue his education. It was in Venice where he saw the radiant colors and majestic forms of Titian that influenced the style we see in his Prometheus work. (web1) Prometheus Bound was painted between 1611 and 1612. The more I look at this painting the more I like it but the stranger it becomes. The painting is of an almost naked man chained to a rock and fighting an eagle that is pecking out his liver. This piece symbolizes Baroque art at its purest. Most of the qualities associated with the Baroque are present in this painting. The painting is very dramatic in its portrayal of this struggle between Prometheus and the eagle. When I look at the eagle's face I think it is grinning as if it were enjoying ripping out the liver of Prometheus.

Another interesting fact regarding this work of art is the addition of its left border. The original painting's left border ended at Prometheus' knee. Rubens later added another 18 inches to the left side of the painting by sewing together the canvas. In the addition we can see a morning sky, the rock to which Prometheus is chained, and a lit torch with which he stole the fire. The reason for the addition to the painting that I agree with is that Rubens was coming out of the mannerist style he saw in Italy where things were exaggerated and compressed, into a new style of more open-form expression.(web 2) Without the addition, this painting would seem very compressed. The grandeur of the Baroque is apparent in the size of the completed painting.

These are some of the details I found interesting about Peter Paul Rubens' Prometheus Bound. To see this baroque work of art in person at the Philadelphia art museum was even more impressive. To think that all art has such history behind it is

Some common words found in the essay are:
Prometheus Bound, Roman Catholic, Paul Rubens, Franz Snyder, Titan Prometheus, prometheus bound, Jesus Italian, Peter Paul, , addition painting, left border, peter paul, stole fire, baroque art, 21 rubens,

Approximate Word count = 762
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Arts

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