A Battle of Mythical Proportion Paiting: The Horrors of War By: Peter Paul Ruben

<Tab/>War and peace, love or hate, good verses evil are all analogies that epitomize the father of all conflict. <Tab/>Peter Paul Rubens' oil on canvas piece "The Horrors of War" was completed in 1638 in Florence, Italy. Rubens uses allegory to convey to his audience the effects of war. Greek mythological figures struggle, grasp, and fall as they "dance across the canvas." In the background is …

…or hit you in the depths of your heart. After studying Rubens you realize you may have no idea of the hidden meaning he wants to place in your psyche. Ruben wrote that he considered "Horrors of War" as "great art" and actually symbolizes the "death of art". Any artist who puts that much feeling, conscience and principle into his work deserves the respect of anyone and it doesn't matter in what century they lived.