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Portrait of a Man, Possibly an Architect or Geographer

1597
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 640
Thought to be Rubens’s earliest dated work, this oil on copper is one of the few known paintings by the artist completed before his departure from Antwerp for Italy in 1600 and attests to his sensitivity as a portraitist. The unknown gentleman holds a watch, an architect’s or draftsman’s square and a pair of dividers, a drafting tool. These may reference his profession, but the encased timepiece is a conventional allusion to mortality.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Portrait of a Man, Possibly an Architect or Geographer
  • Artist: Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, Siegen 1577–1640 Antwerp)
  • Date: 1597
  • Medium: Oil on copper
  • Dimensions: 8 1/2 x 5 3/4 in. (21.6 x 14.6 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: The Jack and Belle Linsky Collection, 1982
  • Object Number: 1982.60.24
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

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The Flagellation of Christ
Peter Paul Rubens
Franciscus van den Wijngaerde
17th century
The Virgin with the Child seated near the cradle
Multiple artists/makers
17th century
David Slaying Goliath
Multiple artists/makers
1751
The Temptation of Christ
Peter Paul Rubens
Christoffel Jegher
before 1652

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