Deborah Kip and her Children by Pierre Paul Rubens

A tender testimony to friendship and aristocratic group portraiture, this intimate composition gathers a mother and her children in a majestic setting. The master Pierre Paul Rubens achieves in “Deborah Kip et ses enfants” a deeply touching work celebrating matronly dignity and childhood purity. The canvas belongs to Baroque aesthetics through the subtle contrast of sumptuous fabrics and the poetic gentleness of the surrounding landscape.:::::The mother sits majestically in a red velvet armchair, wearing a satin white garment and a precious collar beneath a vast canopy. She holds on her lap a nude infant reaching his arms up toward her with infinite tenderness. Beside her stand her three other children with luminous faces and delicately combed curly blonde hair. The little girl in the foreground wears an elegant black dress contrasting sharply with a white linen apron. To the right of the scene, a column carved with a caryatid figure overlooks a balcony opening onto a distant river at sunset. Golden light caresses the delicate complexions of the toddlers and brings out the shine of the chair’s trimmings.:::::The genius of Pierre Paul Rubens lies in the velvety execution of childlike flesh tones and the transparent rendering of fabrics. His skilled oil glaze technique brings a vibrant human presence as well as striking realism to this family group.