Rubens and his first Wife 18th-19th century

Editor: This print, "Rubens and his first Wife," by Carl Ernst Christoph Hess, depicts a distinguished couple in elaborate attire. I'm struck by the formality, yet there's a tenderness in their clasped hands. What's your read on this piece? Curator: Indeed, it's a fascinating rendering! Hess, though later than Rubens, captures a certain baroque flamboyance, don't you think? It's almost as if he's reimagining Rubens's own self-portraits, adding his own 18th-century spin. It makes you wonder, doesn’t it, about the artist’s own interpretation of marital bliss, or perhaps just the public image thereof. Editor: That's an interesting point. It's not necessarily reality, but an idealized version. Curator: Exactly! It's a conversation between artists and eras. A little wink across time, perhaps. Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way. It's like they're sharing a secret. Curator: Precisely. Art history’s full of whispers, if you listen closely.