Mid-Morning Art Thread [Kris]

The Four Continents
Peter Paul Rubens

This is a different piece for Rubens. His work is most known for its writhing forms, radiating color, and intense action. In this quiet work, the human figures still maintain the artist’s trait of overlapping and intertwining forms, however, and their physiques are still very much like his other works—thick and muscular, including the females. This is an allegory of the world and was a very popular theme at the time. The four continents are represented by young, beautiful women. They are escorted by river gods who represent the major rivers of those regions. In classical art, river gods are usually older men leaning on overturned water urns.

With her dark skin, Africa in the most obvious. She is in shadow, just left of center. Most of her body is hidden. Only her head and shoulders are visible. Europeans were most familiar with the northern part of Africa and the rest was still an unknown. She could be the mysterious “Dark Africa”. Her male companion is the Nile with his crocodile. A wreath of some plant is on his head. It’s hard to make out, but if this is the Nile then it may be papyrus. Three putti play on the crocodile. Putti are little cherub-like attendants of Venus and Cupid. I’m not sure why they’re here. They may reference the love affairs of Cleopatra, but I’m not convinced of this idea.

The tigress identifies the couple to the far right as Asia and, most likely, the Ganges. The tigress is ferocious and protective. She snarls at the crocodile who threatens her cubs. Could this reference the ancient clashes in Mesopotamia, between Asian and African civilizations?

Europa and the Danube are on the upper left. Europa is the highest figure in the composition, a place of honor and importance in art. Of all the females, she is the most exposed. She is also the brightest of all the figures. In a lot of art with this subject, Europa is Queen of the Continents. She sits high above the others, crowned by the gods, and revered by all Creation. Rubens is more subtle here but there is no mistaking this figure’s prominence. Many of the lines, such as the line connecting the four heads on the right lead in her direction. A few of the figures look in her direction. The figures make a shape resembling the Nike swoosh and Europa is at its bend. The movement and composition all lead back to her.

The last continent, America, should then be the couple in the right center. She is the most hidden of the group. This may represent the idea of the unfamiliar New World. I think the river god is either the Amazon or Mississippi, most likely the latter. He is even more obscure than she is. These two are the youngest couple in the group, again representing how new the region is.

I like how each of the river gods’ urns are different and that the Danube holds an oar instead. He stands out. It’s also interesting that the Nile’s urn is decorated with classical garlands, but the Ganges’ and Mississippi’s are plain. The Mississippi’s looks like it’s made of terra-cotta too, a low-quality medium, which may symbolize the primitiveness of the American civilizations.

The Danube and Europa demonstrate an intimacy missing from the other three couples, and he is submissive to her. The other couples embrace but ignore their partners. Asia and America whisper together. Africa is more interested in the viewer, and she has this eye-catching Mona-Lisa grin. The Mississippi and Ganges are lost in thought, but the face of the Nile is hidden—maybe because the Nile’s headwaters were unknown at the time? Finally, in the background is Oceanus. In Greco-Roman cosmology, all land is surrounded by a vast ocean. In this painting, Oceanus wraps around the setting. It borders the figures on three sides providing a nice, tight frame for the composition, pulling everything together.

posted by CBD at 09:30 AM

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