St. Ambrose and Emperor Theodosius

St. Ambrose, who became bishop of Milan in 374, refused to allow Theodosius to enter the cathedral because the emperor had perpetrated a horrifying bloodbath on the citizens of Thessalonica as a reprisal for the assassination of one of his generals. The highlight of the composition is the encounter of the two adversaries. Their red and golden garments provide accents to a coloration that is otherwise restricted to shades of grey and brown. Rubens formulates the moral message of his picture in the figure of the resolute bishop.