Helena Fourment and her son Frans
ca. 1634-1635
Rubens was utterly devoted to his second wife, Helena Fourment, painting her dozens of times, but this sketch offers a rare glimpse into their private life. Created around 1634, it shows Helena gazing adoringly at her young son Frans, both sporting stylish wide-brimmed hats that frame their faces. The loose, energetic strokes of red and black chalk suggest Rubens was capturing a fleeting, happy moment rather than posing for a stiff formal portrait, revealing the soft side of the great Baroque master.
- Technique
- Red and black chalk
- Material
- Paper
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