Portrait of a Woman by Pierre Paul Rubens

Imbued with profound spiritual intimacy, this portrait study attests to the poetic and emotional sensitivity of Flemish Baroque. The master Pierre Paul Rubens achieves in “Portrait de jeune femme” a deeply touching work filled with heartfelt gentleness. The painting stands out through remarkable formal simplicity that highlights pure beauty and restrained emotion.:::::The composition focuses in a close-up crop on the slightly tilted face of a young girl with delicate features. Her large dark eyes modestly lower her gaze toward the ground in an attitude of gentle contemplation. Her porcelain-clear skin is flushed with fuchsia pink on her cheeks and a soft red on her lips. Her chestnut hair is neatly pulled back and held by a subtle headband. A pearl earring catches the light on the left side of her face. A greyish fur collar softly wraps her shoulders above a pale bodice seen at the neckline. The plain, dark background concentrates all attention on the model’s melancholic grace.:::::Pierre Paul Rubens demonstrates masterful command of oil glazes to convey the subtle translucency of skin. His fluid, velvety brushwork infuses infinite tenderness as well as striking realism into this intimate portrait.