Rubens & Women, now open at Dulwich Picture Gallery, is the first exhibition to challenge the popular assumption that the legendary artist only painted one type of woman.
Featuring over 40 paintings and drawings from international and private collections – a number on public display in the UK for the first time – this major exhibition reconsiders the place of women in Rubens’ world and, presenting archival material too, the exhibition also considers the role of female patrons and family members in the life of one of art history’s most influential figures.
The exhibition opens with a striking series of portraits of elegant, elite and powerful women shown alongside intimate depictions of Rubens’ two wives, Isabella Brant and Helena Fourment, and his eldest daughter, Clara Serena. Highlights include Portrait of a Woman (c.1625) from the Royal Collection Trust and one of the artist’s most lavish portraits Marchesa Maria Serra Pallavicino or Marchesa Veronica Spinola Doria (1606-7) from the National Trust.
The exhibition continues with an exploration of Rubens’ Roman Catholic faith, seen in his ability to infuse images of biblical women with great tenderness and gravitas. A key work here is Young Woman Looking Down (Study for head of St Apollonia) (1628), travelling to the UK for the first time from the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence.
A further theme follows the evolution of the female nude in Rubens’s art, demonstrating how the artist’s early nudes were different in style from those he became famous for, and tracing how he arrived at his preferred form through an engagement with sculpture, careful study of antique models and observation from life. Highlights include Ceres and Two Nymphs (1615-17) from the Museo del Prado, Madrid.
The exhibition underlines how the women in Rubens’s art were not simply passive objects to be observed, but active agents of their own destiny. A powerful finale to the show includes large-scale paintings The Birth of the Milky Way (1636 – 1638) from the Museo del Prado, Madrid – on display in the UK for the first time – and Dulwich Picture Gallery’s Venus, Mars and Cupid (c. 1614).
Jennifer Scott, Director of Dulwich Picture Gallery, said:
“This exhibition sheds new light on the women depicted by Rubens, presenting complex heroines based on inspirational women in the artist’s own life. With significant works from the Gallery’s collection shown alongside international masterpieces on display in the UK for the first time, this is an exciting opportunity for audiences to reconnect with one of art history’s most famous figures.”
Rubens & Women is now open at Dulwich Picture Gallery (until 28 January 2024). For further information: dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk
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Image: Rubens & Women at Dulwich Picture Gallery. Photo by Graham Turner