/ic/ - Artwork/Critique

>>1959550
If we are to judge who is better than Rubens by what Rubens is praised for, or among artists within his general style, he has no equal. But if we judge based on general skill level, learnedness, invention, capability and success in expression of ideas (in around the same time), and not counting on quantity and scale too much, it may be easier, seeing that we can say without much doubt that Rubens is a more capable painter than Guercino although they're very different. Among masters who are not discussed as much are: Parmigianino, Bronzino and Federico Barocci (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoO6Ko8xUoc); Hans von Aachen, Bloemaert, Goltzius (particularly in drawing and etchings and there is a pen work by him made to look like etching featuring a Venus Friget theme), and Spranger; Guido Reni (looks a lot better in person), Pietro da Cortona (though sometimes starts to shows symptoms of the doughy drapery common in his time and onward); Batoni, and even Boucher is excellent in his own right (greater than Fragonard for sure). If Greuze had more eminent patrons, he would have created paintings a lot greater than what he has. Some aren't accessible though, and there's likely some negative things I can say about each of them, the same with Rubens.