An Old Woman and a Boy with Candles

Paulus Pontius (1603–1658) after Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640)

Ca 1621–1633. Etching and engraving

Peter Paul Rubens was the most successful and internationally renowned artist from the Low Countries of his time. In order to introduce his works to a wider public, Rubens used the possibilities offered by printing. He employed engravers at his studio, who were expected to be capable of not just reproducing his works, but also conveying the picturesqueness of his paintings. The superb craftsmanship of the engraver Paulus Pontius from Antwerp met the high standards set by the famous artist.

The engraving was made after Rubens’s painting from 1616–1617, currently at the Mauritshuis in The Hague. The painting, which was made for personal use, was meant as a comment on a text by Pliny the Elder, in which the antique author praises artists who can convey the shimmering light of a candle or a torch. Pontius’s engraving conveys these light and shade effects brilliantly.

Rubens considered the engraving to be of utmost importance; he oversaw the process of engraving, made amendments to the proofing, and, in order to guarantee the good quality of the print, acquired the sole right to issue the engraving. This privilege was granted to him by the vice regents of the Netherlands for the years 1621–1633. As a special quality mark, the inscription Cum Privilegis Regis christianissimi serenissimae infantis et ordinum confederant was added to the print.