Wash drawing on paper; 6 by 5ins; 15 x 13cm; held in a period style dark wood frame
Provenance:
This delicate and intimate study of a very young boy displays all the Baroque flourishes associated with the work of Rubens. Almost certainly Flemish, the unknown artist has made distinct observations on the manner and form of the child’s face and captured the countenance in an engaging, energetic style. Wearing a simple nightcap of a baby, the child’s head takes on a more exuberant air from the flourishes created by the large, velvet feathered cap attached to the side. This style seemed to be an almost intermediary step before the age of five when most small boys adopted the dress codes of adults and similar can be seen in the portraits by Rubens of Helena Fourment with her Son Francis (1635) and with her other children (1637).
Though we are most familiar with his large scale iconic statements in oil for Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), drawing was a fundamental activity. Ranging from delightful renderings of children and elegant portraits of noblemen and women to vigorous animal studies and beautiful landscapes, Rubens’s drawings are renowned for their superb quality and variety. It is therefore not surprising that his style had far reaching influence over other artists who adopted his manner of approach, not including those many assistants working closely with the master in his studio during his lifetime.