Portrait of Nicolas Trigault in Chinese Costume1617
The Flemish Jesuit Nicolas Trigault, who had worked as a missionary in China, wears the robes and hat of a Chinese scholar in this drawing made by Rubens in Antwerp in 1617, while Trigault was touring Europe to win support for the mission. More about this work
About this work
The Flemish Jesuit Nicolas Trigault, who had worked as a missionary in China, wears the robes and hat of a Chinese scholar in this drawing made by Rubens in Antwerp in 1617, while Trigault was touring Europe to win support for the mission. Rubens worked in black, red and white chalk with touches of blue pastel, capturing the sweep of the silk and the missionary’s alert, bearded face. Trigault had recently published an influential account of China based on the journals of Matteo Ricci.
Written by Ochre Editions.
How it was made
- Pastel
- Sticks of almost pure pigment with very little binder. The colour sits on the paper as powder: bright, matte and fragile.
- Chalk
- Natural black, red and white chalks. Used together on toned paper they could give the warmth of flesh with very little effort, and they were favourites for studies from life.
- Pen and ink
- Drawn with a quill or reed pen, often with wash added by brush to model light and shadow.
Peter Paul Rubens
Flemish, 1577–1640 · Born in Siegen; died in Antwerp.
Rubens was born in Siegen, raised in Antwerp and spent eight formative years in Italy, mainly in the service of the Duke of Mantua. Settling in Antwerp in 1608, he ran a large, efficient studio that produced altarpieces, ceilings and tapestry designs for courts across Europe, from the Medici cycle in Paris to the Banqueting House ceiling in London. He also served as a diplomat. Isabella Brant and later Helena Fourment, his two wives, appear often in his work.
Written by Ochre Editions.
Rights and the museum’s record
Public domain. The Met has dedicated this image to the public domain under CC0, so anyone may copy, adapt and use it, for any purpose, without asking. Our prints and files are reproductions made from the museum’s image; the museum doesn’t endorse them.
- Object number
- 1999.222
- Credit
- Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Type
- Drawings
- Department
- Drawings and Prints
- Licence
- CC0 1.0 Universal
- Museum record
- See it on the museum’s site
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