Old Woman and Boy with Candles c. 1616 - 1617

Curator: Look closely at Peter Paul Rubens' oil on canvas, "Old Woman and Boy with Candles", painted around 1616 or 1617. Editor: First impression? Ooh, shadows are dancing, aren't they? That flickering light is so intense! The crone has a sly look, doesn't she? Curator: Indeed. This work reflects the Baroque fascination with light and dramatic storytelling, with the visual culture around social class and old age also at play. Rubens positions his subjects in stark relief. Editor: That light, though...It feels almost...theatrical. You can feel the heat radiating. What's the kid thinking, pressed so close? Makes you wonder what dark bargain is taking place here. And that face. She's up to something! Curator: Precisely! The strong contrast exemplifies the Baroque "chiaroscuro," manipulating light to model form and heighten drama. Notice how this dramatic play could be interpreted to reflect similar theatrical or religious conventions of the era. Editor: Right? And that basket at the bottom…What’s she collecting? What are the dark economies within reach of a person on society's fringe. I see the scene practically unfolding into some fairy tale, Grimm or something older. Curator: Those details definitely support a sociohistorical read! Consider how genre painting grew as a distinct form of patronage developed independently from the court and church during this time. Genre pictures showing a slice of daily life or social type are on the rise. Editor: Absolutely. I’m loving the contrast of the innocence in that child's eyes to the mischievous glint in the old woman's stare! I can get lost in this painting forever; what starts out spooky melts into human details when I come in for a closer look. Curator: "Old Woman and Boy with Candles" encourages us to look closely at how artists constructed these complex social, religious, and theatrical worlds. Editor: Yeah. Now I'm keen to find my own candle and go paint myself in the dark. Thanks, Rubens!