Portrait of Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)

About this artwork

Portret van een man, geïdentificeerd als Peter Paul Rubens, schilder en diplomaat. Ten halven lijve, met de rechterhand over de borst geslagen.

Art Historical Context

This intimate oil-on-panel portrait captures Peter Paul Rubens, the celebrated Flemish painter and diplomat, as seen through the eyes of his former pupil, Anthony van Dyck. Created between about 1630 and 1650, the small work (just 25.7 by 20.2 centimeters) shows Rubens in a half-length pose, his right hand resting over his chest in a gesture that conveys both dignity and quiet assurance. Van Dyck, who trained in Rubens’s Antwerp studio, had by this time established himself as a leading portraitist in his own right, and this image reflects both personal admiration and professional respect. Exe...

About the Artist

Anthony van Dyck · 1599–1641

Sir Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641) was a Flemish Baroque artist who revolutionized portrait painting and became the most influential court painter in 17th-century England. Born in Antwerp as the seventh of twelve children to a prosperous silk merchant, van Dyck displayed extraordinary artistic talent from childhood. He trained under Hendrick van Balen before joining Peter Paul Rubens's workshop as a...