Portrait of a Man (1597)

Rubens, Peter Paul (1577-1640)

Portrait of a Man, Possibly an Architect or Geographer
1597
Oil on copper, 21.6 x 14.6 cm
Metropolitan Museum of ArtNew York

This sensitive portrait on copper is one of Rubens’s earliest known works. The square and dividers may refer to architecture or geography, while the watch is a reminder of mortality. (MET)