Portrait of Jan I Moretus
between 1612 and 1616
Peter Paul Rubens captures the formidable presence of Jan I Moretus, the powerful Antwerp printer who took over the legendary Plantin Press. Dressed in severe black with a spectacularly crisp, oversized white ruff that frames his thoughtful, bearded face, Moretus looks every bit the wealthy intellectual patriarch of the early 17th century. Rubens, a close friend of the family, used his signature Baroque flair to bring a striking psychological depth to this portrait, making the subject's piercing gaze leap off the dark canvas. You can still visit this masterpiece today at the Plantin-Moretus Museum, where it hangs among the very printing presses Jan once managed!
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
Location: Plantin-Moretus Museum, Antwerp