A Study of a Head (Saint Ambrose)
About this artwork
The lively brushstrokes and convincing vivacity of the face of this elderly man suggest that it is a study made directly from life. It could almost be a finished portrait, but is a preparatory study, used for the head of St Ambrose in a grand altarpiece. Rubens often made detailed studies of individual figures for large compositions, in addition to sketches of the whole design. These could be used by the master or copied by assistants working on the final painting. The subject of the altarpiece is St Ambrose Refusing the Emperor Theodosius Admission to the Church of Milan (Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna).
Updated before 2020
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artist:Sir Peter Paul RubensFlemish (1577 - 1640)
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title:A Study of a Head (Saint Ambrose)
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date created:About 1618
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materials:Oil on panel
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measurements:49.60 x 38.10 cm; Framed: 74.50 x 62.00 x 10.00 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Purchased with the aid of the Cowan Smith Bequest Fund 1947
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accession number:NG 2097
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artwork photographed by:Antonia Reeve
Sir Peter Paul Rubens
Sir Peter Paul Rubens
Rubens, an outstanding artist, scholar and diplomat, enjoyed a long, prolific and internationally successful career. He painted themes from the Bible and classical mythology, portraits, landscapes and allegorical subjects. After spending eight years in Italy, he returned to Antwerp in 1608, where...
