Helena Fourment — Workshop Of Peter Paul Rubens

Helena Fourment

A delicate portrait of Helena Fourment rendered in exquisite black, red, and white chalks by the Workshop of Peter Paul Rubens captures Flemish Baroque elegance, inviting you to bring this timeless beauty into your home.


Workshop Of Peter Paul Rubens

Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) was a Flemish Baroque master renowned for his dynamic compositions, rich colors, and sensual depictions of mythology, religion, and history. His influential workshop produced countless paintings that shaped European art.

Courtauld Gallery (London, United Kingdom)

Discover Impressionist & Post-Impressionist masterpieces at The Courtauld Gallery! Explore works by Van Gogh, Manet & more in a stunning London setting. A cultural sanctuary awaits.

The richly dressed young woman depicted here, holding a prayer book in one hand and drawing back her veil with the other, is Helen Fourment (1614-1673). The daughter of an Antwerp silk merchant, she married Peter Paul Rubens in 1630 when she was 16 and Rubens, a widower, was 53. Rubens shows her as near life size, rendered in a delicate combination of subtly handled black, red and white chalks, celebrating her beauty and his own skill as an artist. Her pompom-topped cap with a veil attached was known as a huyck; although fashionable as an outdoor accessory, its presence in a portrait is highly unusual. Rubens derived Helena