The young boy with his torch and basket with flowers and fruits depicts the light and blooms of spring. An inscription from c. 1600 identifies him as Hesperus, the evening star. The sculpture is listed as belonging to Rubens from 1618 until 1626. He purchased it from the British collector Dudley Carleton, who acquired it in Venice.
Rubens used this pagan statue as inspiration to paint a standing Christ Child, for example. In 1626, he sold it to the Duke of Buckingham. Four hundred years after leaving Antwerp, the enchanting young boy now returns to his former home.
Specifications
- Trapezophoros
- Greece or Asia Minor
- 2nd century AD
- Marble
- Purchased with the generous support of the Friends of the Rubens House Fund
Trapezophoros, Greece or Asia Minor, 2nd century AD, marble – © LUCID
