Peace Embracing Plenty 1633 - 1634

Peter Paul Rubens made this oil on panel depicting allegorical figures locked in an embrace. Painted in the Southern Netherlands, probably in the 1630s, this work speaks to the social conditions of a war-torn society, longing for prosperity. The image’s meaning arises from its synthesis of classical and Christian imagery. Set against a classical portico, the figures of Peace and Plenty intertwine. Peace, often depicted as a female figure, embraces Plenty, who is accompanied by a cornucopia overflowing with fruits – both visual codes for wealth and abundance. Rubens made this painting during the Thirty Years' War, a conflict involving most European powers and fought primarily in the Holy Roman Empire. The Netherlands was at the center of this conflict, and Rubens, a devout Catholic, used his art to comment on the war's devastating impact on society. Rubens was also a diplomat, traveling around Europe to advocate for peace. To understand the painting more fully, we might turn to period sources, letters, and diplomatic records. Art, after all, is so often a reflection of, and a commentary on, the world in which it's made.