Peter Paul Rubens (1610 to 11). The Raising of the Cross [oil on canvas]. Catherdral of Our Lady, Antwerp © IRPA-KIK, Brussels.

All subjects are treated with a tone of tortured animation. Forms are richly developed, elongated and sinuous. This is “reality beyond reality”, edging on chaotic, testifying to Rubens masterful skill because the energy of this masterpiece implies his frantic, and not deliberate, rendering of it. A momentary story is told, but its impact on the emotions of the observer I would argue is more to Rubens’ thrust. 

Again, typical of the time period, value does almost all of the heavy lifting in this masterpiece. It is responsible for the highlighting of Christ’s form and this entire work’s modelling, fore/background relationships and compositional binding. I believe Rubens uses a split-complementary color scheme with neutral reds set in opposition to cool greens and somewhat warmed blues. He blends hues and their densities to create the unique modelling of this work. Depth is fully developed; one of the less obvious methods he uses to establish spatial relationships is a near-blending of figures into a complicated, almost storm cloud-like horizontal arrangement of blocks across the canvas. 
This composition swirls with organic, circular shapes and energy intermingling with elongated, muscular forms. The tension in the canvas rotates its sense of balance to the left, along the axis of Christ’s figure and the extending form below him. Further pictorial organization is evident if a perpendicular axis is drawn running through his hips. Rubens uses the full value range and variations in mild and stark value changes to establish both near and distant proximities between subjects and subject blocks. He blends unbalanced proportions and equivalencies to create an energetic and cohesive masterpiece. 

An ocean-like swell of figurative shapes brackets and are oriented toward the centrally-located block which is performing the titled action. Within that block, Christ’s form is unnaturally illuminated and further framed by shapes formatted with color and value contrasts. Further pictorial movement swilrs in a vast, sweeping motion from Mary’s face down through the crowd and out through the right side of the combined composition. The observer seems “buoyed” in the crowd near at-hand. 

One of the most important and challenging truths about the accomplishment of Rubens is to describe the unique way he blended the visual drama characteristic of Renaissance Italy with the needling detail Flemish artists were known for. The impact of theatrical formalism of artists such as Caravaggio is clear, yet Ruebens’ “opening up” of midtones fleshes out a level of detail largely untouched by collateral styles developed during his age.