Four figures in floating positions, three amidst clouds 

This is an ink drawing of four figures in floating positions amidst clouds, made by Peter Paul Rubens, a Flemish Baroque artist, who lived from 1577 to 1640. Rubens lived during the Counter-Reformation, a period when the Catholic Church sought to reaffirm its doctrines, and often commissioned art to convey religious themes. Rubens skillfully captures the human form in dynamic poses, infusing the scene with a sense of movement and energy. This drawing also reflects the dominant beauty standards of the time, where the idealized nude form was associated with classical ideals. The figures are ambiguously placed in what could be seen as heaven. The figures relationships to one another speak to the complexities of faith, with the figures possibly representing religious figures such as angels, and the nature of how we see the divine. The figures have a somewhat androgynous appearance, leaving room for introspection on themes such as gender, sexuality, and the body. Rubens asks us to consider our relationship to the figures portrayed.