Gender, Politics, and Allegory in the Art of Rubens

Download or read book Gender, Politics, and Allegory in the Art of Rubens written by Lisa Rosenthal and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2005-09-05 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gender, Politics, and Allegory in the Art of Peter Paul Rubens examines the intertwined relationship between paintings of family and marriage, and of war, peace, and statehood by the Flemish master. Drawing extensively upon recent critical and gender theory, Lisa Rosenthal reshapes our view of Rubens' works and of the interpretive practices through which we engage them. Close readings offer new interpretations of canonical images, while bringing into view other powerful works which are less familiar. The focus on gender serves as a catalyst that enables an original way of reading visual allegory, giving it a dynamic multivalence undiscovered by traditional iconographic methods.