The love garden
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| The love garden |
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| Peter Paul Rubens , 1632 |
| Oil on canvas |
| 198 × 283 cm |
| Museo del Prado |
The love garden is a painting by the Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens , which was created around 1632 . It can be viewed today in the Museo del Prado in Madrid .
background
The painting is not a commissioned picture. Rubens painted it all to himself. It has something private about it, reflects the painter's attitude to life, and is at the same time a declaration of love for his second wife, Helene Fourment . In 1630 , the widowed painter, who was already 53 at the time, took the 16-year-old as his wife. The age difference was considerable even for the time, but the marriage, like the first, was very harmonious. Shortly after the wedding, Rubens confided to a friend:
- “Now I am living in quiet contemplation again. [...] Let's look forward to the permitted lust, full of gratitude. "
The paintings
It is noticeable that the women depicted have similarities: the straight bridge of the nose, the slightly protruding eyes, the blond hair, the fullness of the body. They are similar to Helene Fourment, who often acted as a model for her husband. But the two men are also similar in their facial features, especially in their chin beards. They, in turn, look similar to the painter - although he looked much older at the time the picture was created. It seems that Rubens rejuvenated himself in his new love happiness and immortalized his companion and himself several times in the painting.
The picture is not, as one might be tempted at first glance, to read from right to left, but from left to right. In the left section, the lover embraces the young woman, she hesitates, the touch is careful, his posture and tender look reflect the request that she give up her restraint. In the center of the picture sit three women, they symbolize the different forms of love: the ecstatic one who looks upwards, the prudent one who looks at the viewer, the motherly one with the little Cupid on her lap. It is no coincidence that the young woman from the left part of the picture is in the middle again, note the identical blue dress. Her look reflects curious willingness, she has let herself be captivated by love. On the right, finally, the man and woman step down the stairs in splendid clothes. He hooked her, which comes across as self-confident and proud. The attitude shows it: you have become a married couple.
literature
- Rose-Marie and Rainer Hagen: Viewing Images - Masterworks in Detail , Benedikt Taschen Verlag, Cologne 1994