The Family of Jan Brueghel the Elder, 1613-15 (oil on panel)

This tender portrait celebrates family and friendship. Rubens shows his dear friend Jan Brueghel, with his wife and children. Rubens and Brueghel produced many paintings together. Rubens painted the figures and Brueghel the still lifes. Catharina, Jan’s second wife, is at the heart of this intimate group. She draws her two children, Pieter and Elisabeth, close to her. One of Catharina’s hands rests on Pieter’s shoulder, while the other clasps her daughter’s delicate fingers. The elegantly dressed Pieter toys with his mother’s bracelet. The family, wealthy citizens of Antwerp, wear expensive clothes. No sign of Jan Brueghel’s profession is given.