Peter Paul Rubens, Self-portrait
One of the four rare self-portraits that Rubens painted. Even though he never portrayed himself as a painter. Rubens saw self-portraits primarily as a promotional tool. But his intimate regard seems like an outstretched hand, to get to know him better.
Peter Paul Rubens (1577 - 1640)
Self-portrait
Circa 1623 - 1630
Oil on panel
Can be seen at the Rubens Experience (Rubenshuis, Antwerp)
Rubens never portrayed himself as a painter. This panel is no exception, here we see a gentleman. Stylishly dressed, approachable and with an open mind. Rubens only produced four individual self-portraits; Rembrandt, on the other hand, produced around 40 paintings of himself.
Eye-to-eye with the very first influencer
Rubens cared about how the world saw him. He was the very first influencer, without realising it.
No flamboyant poses or brush in his hand. Rubens consciously depicts himself as a wise, determined, yet gentle man on this canvas. A calling card in oil paint.
Intimate and self-assured
Dressed in an elegant, black doublet, white shirt and wide-brimmed hat, Rubens has confident look about him. A man of the world, but humble at the same time. With his soft, dark eyes and cautious smile, he invites you to closely examine his self-portrait. What colour were his eyes? How long was his beard? Here you will find Rubens' eye for detail.
When Rubens painted himself on this wooden panel, he didn't intend to sell the work. He used it as a model for his pupils to make their own portraits. Of the four self-portraits, this is the most genial and intimate. If you get closer and dare to look behind the façade of the painter, you will see friendly eyes looking back.
Sketched and appraised
Although Rubens had a great eye for detail, he seems not to have attached too much importance to the setting of this painting. Behind his back, the work is unfinished and dark. The broad brushstrokes - also in the clothing - make the work look more like a sketch at times. It was Rubens' way of emphasising the informal character of the portrait. It is not known for certain in what year this portrait was painted. It was long believed to have been made around 1630, although Rubens looks conspicuously younger than a fifty-something. His facial features resemble those of a self-portrait from 1623. This work was subsequently used as a model for a trio of group portraits, including the portrait with his eldest son Albert.
Closer to Rubens than ever before
Although the exact date of the painting remains a mystery, the portrait looks surprisingly fresh. The reason? The self-portrait underwent a comprehensive restoration in 2017. And not for the first time. In some places, the original paint appeared to be covered with up to 11 new layers of overpainting, filling and varnish.
Interestingly, research revealed that the painting had been sawn, enlarged and re-formed several times. It was even oval-shaped for a time. Four new corners were subsequently added. Due to the changes in format, Rubens' position in the picture is different from what he actually intended.
More vibrant than ever
All these cumulative interventions obscured Rubens' personality and painting technique. At least 75% of the painting was not actually by him. But fortunately, the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage in Brussels (KIK-IRPA) uncovered all the details that had been hidden for centuries.
In addition to the red lips, the blush on the cheeks, the white highlights of the shirt and the colour variation, the original brushstrokes are now clearly visible again. They betray the way Rubens applied the paint, and also the pace of his work. Just as self-confident as the look in his
The Self-Portrait is on the Flemish Community's List of Masterpieces. The works on this list have exceptional artistic and cultural-historical significance for Flanders.