Rubens, Helena Fourment (1614–1673), and Their Son Frans (1633–1678)ca. 1635
Rubens, then in his late fifties, poses in a garden with his young second wife, Helena Fourment, and their small son Frans. More about this work
About this work
Rubens, then in his late fifties, poses in a garden with his young second wife, Helena Fourment, and their small son Frans. He married Helena, the sixteen-year-old daughter of an Antwerp silk merchant, in 1630, four years after the death of his first wife, and she became the inspiration for many of his late paintings. The warm colour, flowing brushwork and lush setting express the contentment of his last decade.
Written by Ochre Editions.
How it was made
- Oil on panel
- Oil paint on prepared wooden boards, usually oak in the north and poplar in Italy. The rigid, smooth surface suits fine detail and thin, glowing glazes.
- Oil paint
- Pigment ground in a drying oil, usually linseed. It dries slowly, so painters could blend on the canvas, build up thin translucent glazes, and rework a picture over weeks. Canvas replaced wooden panels in the 1500s because it is lighter and can be rolled.
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
- 1981.238
- Credit
- Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Type
- Paintings
- Department
- European Paintings
- Licence
- CC0 1.0 Universal
- Museum record
- See it on the museum’s site
Report this work
More by Peter Paul Rubens
All their works
Close in colour
