Rubens, His Wife Lelena Fourment, and Their Son Frans, Peter Paul Rubens
This painting, showing the artist with his second wife and their son, is part affection, part pride and part advertisement for the artist’s prowess as a painter.
In the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Use Fullscreen link and zoom or download arrow.
This is very nice. I am so impressed with Rubens paintings. It is true that he is very good at painting flesh esp. women. But not only nudes, also some of his portraits are so very much alive, painted with such sensitive touch. And these wonderfully transparent and warm shadows, he just does them so exquisitely – especially on paintings which are painted on wood rather than canvas, like this one. When seen in person, they look like air is flowing through them. I never particularly liked Rubens in books, but I am always drawn to his paintings when I see them in a museum.
Also beautiful as you have pointed out the tender gesture of the hands.
Thanks for posting this! (When I was too the Metropolitan Museum, I spent all my time in the Egyptian Collection, which was fascinating, but oh all the great paintings I missed!)
Hélène Fourment was 16, Pierre Paul Rubens 53 when they married …..
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