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Sir Peter Paul Rubens Flemish, 1577 - 1640 Agrippina and Germanicus, c. 1614 oil on panel, 66.4 x 57 cm (26 1/8 x 22 7/16 in.) Andrew W. Mellon Fund 1963.8.1 |
Object 3 of 8
This life-size double portrait replicates the surface appearance of a miniature gem. Its glowing paint texture has a translucent sheen similar to a carving in a semiprecious stone.
Ancient coins and gems were among Rubens' scholarly interests. He not only collected Greek and Roman cameos, but also intended to publish a book on them. It was to be written by noted antiquarians and illustrated by himself. Though the plan was never executed, this painting relates to a large group of Rubens' drawings, prints, and oils that depict noted personages of the ancient world. All the faces are in profile, the preferred format for coins and gems because side silhouettes of heads are more decorative than frontal views.
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