The object in context
The Royal Museums’ 2016 selection identifies this work by Peter Paul Rubens: oil on canvas, inventory 163. The list does not give a creation date for this entry. Its inventory number distinguishes the Brussels object from versions or reproductions elsewhere. The old list records a collection location in 2016, not a guarantee of display today.
Try this when you look
Locate the direction of movement before concentrating on the main figure. Which gestures continue it and which interrupt it? Draw three arrows for the largest forces in the scene. This gives you a way to compare a crowded Rubens composition with the quieter Pietà by Van der Weyden.
Before you visit
Check the museum’s current collection presentation using this inventory number. For a short visit, pair this object with one related work and reserve time to compare them. The room numbers in the historical PDF should not be used as a present-day floor plan.
- The object in context: The Royal Museums’ 2016 selection identifies this work by Peter Paul Rubens: oil on canvas, inventory 163.
- Try this when you look: Locate the direction of movement before concentrating on the main figure.
- Before you visit: Check the museum’s current collection presentation using this inventory number.