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Boar Hunt, c. 1615-17, Musées de Marseille

NARRATOR: Dynamic action. Incredible realism. A complex weaving-together of figures and animals. And a story that grabs and holds our attention, as we see this mighty boar surrounded, a spear plunged into his throat. This scene gives us a wonderful summary of Rubens’ extraordinary talent as an artist, which we’ve seen unfold in the exhibition.

The painting, made for a royal Duke, combines two of his main interests. Hunting was, of course, a noted royal and aristocratic sport. The scene echoes classical images of boar hunts – including Hercules killing the Erymanthean boar. This alludes to the Duke’s love of ancient art and culture – which Rubens shared. The Boar Hunt is also a great example of how he uses color to heighten drama, and to draw our attention to key details. Here, touches of brilliant red make our eye move quickly to different parts of the scene, including the eye of the boar, full of anger, fear, and defiance, at the moment before death.