The most famous and prolific Neapolitan painter and printmaker in etching, Luca Giordano was born on 1634 in Naples, Italy. He was also a son of painter and took his early training under Ribera who influenced his early works. He was also called Luca fa presto (Luca paints quickly) because of his speed of painting. Soon, he travelled to Rome, Florence and Venice for his further studies. During his journey he was influenced by many great artists like, Pietra da Cortona, Mattia Preti, Rubens, and Bernini. In 1682, he also started painting the dome of the Corsini chapel at the church of Santa Maria del Carmine; and the domes at the gallery and library of the Medici Ricardi palace, both in Florence. He gained international fame in 1692 when he was invited as a court painter by King Charles II of Spain where he painted the large murals at the monastery of El Escorial, worked on the stairway and basilica vaults until 1694. This work combined history, symbolism and portraits of the actual king and queen into a great creative design which proved his incredible fresco-painting skills to Spaniards. After this, he took an important project of painting the king's private office and bedroom at the Royal Place of Aranjuez. He painted the ceilings with frescoes and the walls with oil paintings. He portrayed Charles II as the Roman god Janus in his office which represented him as a guarantor of peace and wisdom. These paintings reinforced the vault's political message by praising king's virtues as a ruler. After the death of the king in 1702, Giordano returned Naples and completed huge number of commissions till his death in 1704.
The painting, "The Abduction of the Sabine Women" was created by Luca Giordano around 1670-1680. The painting shows Roman soldiers captures Sabine women during a battle. The artwork captures the intense struggle as soldiers grab and lift the women, who are trying to resist and escape. Their twisting bodies and outstretched arms show fear, and motion of the event. The artist drew a famous Roman legend in which Roman men captures Sabine women because there was not enough women in the city to populace the new city. The story represents the growth of Roman society, and its conflict with neighbouring groups. In 17th-century Europe, society was heavily dominated by men, and this painting themes of invasion and control reflects the political power struggles of the time. The identity of the patron who commissioned the artwork may have shaped its message, throwing light on how the artist and his society viewed gender, power and dominance. The painting represents deep emotional conflict by contrasting the fear and helplessness of the victim with the force of the Roman men. The artwork creates a feeling of anxiety and weakness, focuses on the human cost of violence and power. The extreme emotional tension turns a legendary story into a powerful representation of suffering, dominance. The painting make the viewer feel shocked and upset. The pain and the helplessness of the women bring out sympathy, while the aggression of the men brings out fear and discomfort. The violent nature of the scene also make the viewer feel uneasy, cause them to reflect on cruelty, vulnerability, abuse of power, and suffering of the women. The artist used fast, flowing brushstrokes to make the scene look lively and urgent. He used sharp contrast of light and shadow to make the painting look more intense, main feature of Baroque art. The dynamic gestures, expressive people, and diagonal layouts strengthens the visual energy and emotion, which gives the artwork a theatrical feel. He used rich palette of colors like deep reds, warm yellows, soft blues, and earthly tones in contrast with brighter skin tones to add warmth, depth, and visual power to the scene.
The fluidity of the movement in the painting is what makes it stand out. The terror of the women is so visceral that it strikes the heart of the viewer.
