Portrait of Elena Fourman with two children, Rubens, circa 1636
Description of the picture:
Portrait of Lena Fourman with 2 children – Peter Paul Rubens. Around 1636. Oil on wood. 113×82
The catchy representative of Baroque art in Flemish painting, Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) became famous for both mythological and religious paintings and portraits.
On “Portrait of Lena Fourman with 2 children” depicts the artist’s second wife, who became his last love and was the native niece of his first wife. At the time of the marriage, Rubens was 50 three years old, and Lena was only 16. The image of the young wife and kids – the daughter of Claire-Jeanne and the offspring of Francois – breathes the serene happiness of motherhood. Both mother and babies are full of natural ease.
The work remained unfinished. Apparently, the master began to write the hands of the third kid over the seat of Lena’s chair, but for some reason did not finish the puzzle."