Peter Paul Rubens’ painting “The Three Graces” features three female figures, each representing the Greek Three Graces. These figures are joined together in a dance-like shape, hinting at the playful expressions which occurred between them. The photograph is an oil on canvas painting and its colors are fairly muted. From the painting one can observe that the artist has used shades of reds and oranges to compliment their simple white robes.
The strong unity between the figures in Rubens’ paintings suggests a heavenly aura of elements as it is widely believed to symbolize harmony, joy and beauty. All these emotions are expressed through their body language, gestures and facial expressions. It can be observed that the females’ facial expressions look similar; each have turned eyes which suggest a tranquil feeling in nature’s beauty.
Peter Paul Rubens also had the pleasure of having his wife Helen Fourment portrayed in one of his works – “The Little Fur”. This beautiful portrait was painted between 1638 – 1640 and it depicts her playful nature while still bringing out her beauty, elegance, and grace with elements such as pearls woven within her necklace, turban hat and fur wrap covering her shoulders. This depiction highlights not just Peter Paul Rubens’ artistic capabilities but also Helen Fourment’s trendy fashion sense during that time period.
