Simon and Pero - Roman Charity by Pierre Paul Rubens

This dramatic and poignant work fits forcefully into the classical iconography of filial piety, revisited with all the sensuality and emotion of the Baroque style by the artist Rubens Pierre Paul. Through this striking painting entitled “Simon and Pero - Roman Charity”, the painter stages a gesture of survival and extreme dedication. This moving masterpiece illustrates family love transcending the cruelty of imprisonment in an atmosphere of palpable tension.:::::In the gloom of a stone dungeon, a half-naked, bearded old man, hands chained behind his back, is sitting on straw. A young blonde woman dressed in a sumptuous flamboyant red gown leans tenderly toward him to offer him her breast. She turns an anxious look toward the barred window located in the upper right, where one can see the dark faces of two soldiers in armor watching them. The bright light vigorously illuminates the young woman’s fair skin and the sculptural anatomy of the old man, contrasting with the oppressive darkness of the cell. The dramatic tension and intimacy of the scene are beautifully balanced.:::::This work bears witness to the pictorial genius of the Flemish master in translating the most intense human emotions through the contrast of flesh. His exceptional mastery of oil is expressed in the delicate rendering of the skin and the drape of the red gown. The artist magnifies this allegory with deeply moving humanity.