Selfportrait with brother Philipp, Justus Lipsius and another scholar 1611

This is a painting by Peter Paul Rubens, portraying himself with his brother Philipp, Justus Lipsius, and another scholar. The central figure, Lipsius, clad in a fur coat, embodies wisdom and erudition, while the books laid upon the table evoke the pursuit of knowledge. The bust of a Roman philosopher looking on from above serves as a symbol of classical heritage and intellectual legacy, connecting these scholars to the wisdom of antiquity. Even the presence of a loyal dog at the lower right can be seen in emblems of 'friendship and fidelity.' In this group portrait, Rubens captures not just likenesses, but also the shared intellectual life and humanist values that bound these individuals together. The act of gathering around a table laden with books and manuscripts is a powerful metaphor for the transmission of knowledge. It harkens back to the symposia of ancient Greece and embodies the cyclical nature of intellectual and cultural exchange, resonating with an emotional connection to tradition.