The Birth of Venus 

This is Peter Paul Reubens's "The Birth of Venus," painted some time between 1636 and 1638, in oil on wood. The limited palette emphasizes the sculptural qualities of the figures. Though painted, they seem almost carved, like an ivory relief. You can imagine the artist working up the image, from a quick sketch to a highly detailed underdrawing, gradually building up the forms with layers of paint. The fleshiness of the figures, the frothy waves, all speak to the virtuosity of Rubens’s brushwork, and of course, to his broader social context. His was an art of plenty, designed to showcase the wealth and power of his patrons. The very idea of oil painting, with its capacity for smooth, almost seamless blending, speaks to the way that materials can evoke class status. Rubens has given us not just a picture, but an emblem of privilege.