Albert Rubens 1619

Peter Paul Rubens drew this portrait of his son Albert, likely in Antwerp, sometime in the early 17th century using black and red chalk. While on the surface, it appears to be a simple domestic scene, the image is very much a product of its time. Rubens, as court painter to the Habsburgs, was part of a Northern European network of artists and intellectuals who were connected by the patronage of powerful families. The elite commissioned art to communicate ideas about lineage, taste and piety, all markers of social class. Rubens was attuned to these expectations. Rubens himself came from a family of lawyers and his ability to move easily in those circles surely helped him to become one of the most successful artists of his age. If you’re interested in learning more about the artist’s work, try exploring inventories of aristocratic collections from the period. You’ll soon see how Rubens’s art played a role in shaping the identity of his elite patrons.