3. Portrait of Rogier Clarisse, Portrait of Sara Breyel

Art Gallery of Ontario

3 Portrait of Rogier Clarisse, Portrait of Sara Breyel, c. 1611, FAMSF NARRATOR: Rubens painted these portraits of a husband and wife soon after returning to Antwerp after eight triumphant years in Italy. Now just into his thirties, he quickly established himself back home as an extremely sought-after artist. This couple, the wealthy silk merchant Rogier Clarisse and his wife Sarah Breyel, were the parents-in-law of Ruben’s close friend Jan Woverius. You’ll find a portrait of him nearby. KIRK NICKEL: When Rubens painted these portraits, the Clarisse family was on the rise in Antwerp. Rubens shows the pair as well dressed but conservative in taste. Sara Breyel’s dress is decorated with a very fine, but narrow, band of gold buttons. NARRATOR: In her hand, she holds a white handkerchief made from silk – a subtle reminder of the source of the family’s prosperity. KIRK NICKEL: The portrait of Rogier Clarisse is only slightly less restrained than that of his wife. And it's really in this fur lining to Rogier’s cloak where we see Rubens let loose with his brushwork. The rich dense, luminous, fur is created from just a welter of thin brush marks, and it's this passage where Rubens’ artistry matches Rogier’s display of wealth.