Help with artwork

[jtw1313]

I think this is peter Paul Rubens
Can anyone help read what is written on the left side?

 

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[Red-Coat]

It's not very clear on the original work (below). The wording appears to end with the date '1621' although it's generally attributed as 'c1619' with respect to when it was drawn.



I assume you know it's a portrait of Rubens' son with the modern gallery title: "Nicolaas Rubens Wearing a Coral Necklace".

 

[jtw1313]

Thanks redcoat do you know if he did any stipple engravings of this

 

[Red-Coat]

Surely you don't think this is a contemporary work and actually by Rubens?

The original is an extremely subtle work in pen and ink with with highlights and shadows in three colours of chalk. Not only has all of that artistic subtlety been lost in your print, but so too has the symbolism of the necklace. In the original, it's shaded with sanguine chalk to emphasise that it's coral (which was believed in those times to protect the wearer from evil and illness).

 

[chub]

Surely you don't think this is a contemporary work and actually by Rubens?

The original is an extremely subtle work in pen and ink with with highlights and shadows in three colours of chalk. Not only has all of that artistic subtlety been lost in your print, but so too has the symbolism of the necklace. In the original, it's shaded with sanguine chalk to emphasise that it's coral (which was believed in those times to protect the wearer from evil and illness).

This is some quality content. I think we need a banner sticky for quality responses

chub

 

[Red-Coat]

This is some quality content. I think we need a banner sticky for quality responses

chub

Thanks Chub. Not needed as far as I'm concerned. I think this site is full of quality content.

 

[jtw1313]

Red coat always has quality responses

 

[jtw1313]

No redcoat just reading about the engravings

 

[GoldieLocks]

It is more likely a museum tourist purchased gift store print. But the signature doesn't look close enough to the artists handwriying. The p shaped are yo curvslinear and the end of his whole name does trail downwards

 

[Red-Coat]

It is more likely a museum tourist purchased gift store print. But the signature doesn't look close enough to the artists handwriying. The p shaped are yo curvslinear and the end of his whole name does trail downwards

The signature is an exact (probably photographic) copy of that on Rubens' original work, as is the entire print. It's just a low-grade copy though, with none of Rubens' subtlety and then reproduced by a monochrome technique which is ill-suited to capture the essence of the work.



I would think it's a photogravure, and could be of any age from the late 1800s through to modern. If modern and from a museum gift shop, one would expect it to be rather better quality and there's no reason why it could not have been reproduced in its original colouration.