Portrait of Jacqueline de Castres Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)

Description of the painting "Portrait of Anne of Austria" by Peter Rubens

1622-25; canvas, oil; 105 x 93; Louvre.

"Portrait of Anne of Austria," which is in the Louvre, belongs to the more mature works of the artist, a representative of the Flemish school. The canvas depicts the daughter of King Philip III of Spain and Marguerite of Austria, the future wife of Louis the Thirteenth.

The prone to intrigue, the queen, who so early became the wife of a powerful monarch, appears in Rubens’ painting with a slight charming smile, barely noticeable on her full, sensual lips. Her face is beautiful, with a lively flame dancing in Anna of Austria’s eyes, demonstrating her lively character and fierce disposition. The ruler’s hands, on the other hand, express uncertainty, reminding her that she is a very young girl, forced to hold herself in a dignified position. Her little fingers, which are so touchingly slightly bent, show that she is a little unsure, perhaps even a little embarrassed by something of her own, mysterious and feminine.

She holds a delicate bouquet of flowers - creamy pink and white, which is so disharmonious with her attire, once again reminding us how Rubens managed to combine Anna of Austria’s fiery temperament and her heartstrings, of which she does not speak aloud, of course. Her dress is made in the characteristic Rubensian style of the early Baroque: a dark robe-style dress, under it a kotta with a fan-shaped framed collar, all this splendor trimmed with lace - and it is depicted vividly, full of rich color. The attire of the young queen of France refers to her Spanish roots, recalling the traditions of her native country.

The colors of the painting are warm, the canvas is full of emotion and life itself - Anne of Austria seems to look from the picture, intriguing and warning of something, telling about her experiences with just this look.