Rubens, Helena Fourment (1614–1673), and Their Son Frans (1633–1678)
ca. 1635
Medium
Oil on wood
Dimensions
80 1/4 x 62 1/4 in. (203.8 x 158.1 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, in honor of Sir John Pope-Hennessy, 1981
Accession Number
1981.238
Tags
Art Historical Context
In this intimate family portrait, painted around 1635, Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens depicts himself alongside his young second wife, Helena Fourment, and their toddler son Frans. At over six feet tall, the oil-on-wood panel captures a moment of tender domesticity, with the trio gathered closely—Rubens gazing affectionately at his family, Helena cradling Frans on her lap, and a vibrant parrot perched nearby. The bird, a symbol of exotic luxury and marital fidelity in 17th-century Europe, adds a touch of playfulness to the scene. Rubens, a Flemish artist renowned for his dynamic composition...
About the Artist
Peter Paul Rubens · 1577–1640
Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) stands as the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition and the greatest exponent of Baroque painting's dynamism, vitality, and sensuous exuberance. Born in Siegen, Westphalia, and raised in Antwerp, Rubens received a humanist education studying Latin and classical literature before pursuing artistic training under three masters: Tobias Verhaecht, Adam ...