Tre mandshoveder 17th century

Peter Paul Rubens made this study of "Three Men's Heads" with pen and brown ink, likely sometime in the early 17th century. Rubens was a towering figure in the Antwerp art world, and a prominent intellectual in Europe. He would have been very attuned to the politics of imagery. The images of men that he produced circulated amongst the elites of Europe, and served political functions, consolidating power for both himself and his patrons. In this drawing, we can see the artist experimenting with different physiognomies, each suggesting a different personality or type. Two of the men sport turbans, which may reflect the growing cultural awareness that came with expanding global trade routes. How are we to understand this combination of types? Art history can illuminate the conditions of the image's production, as well as trace the social networks that gave it meaning. Consulting letters, biographies, account books, and inventories are just some of the ways we piece together a deeper understanding of the social life of art.