A closer study of a painting of a man often depicted in works by the Flemish master revealed a hidden painting of a woman beneath the sitter’s beard. Rubens also made “optical illusions”.

It will be a bald elderly man with a big, bushy beard and a look drunk on wine? Or a nice young lady with loose hair and a crown of braids?

For the Belgian art dealer A glass to mer, the answer to that question mattered less than the fact that this particular interpretation of the “duck-rabbit” optical illusion was painted by a certain Peter Paul Rubens — none other than the 17th century flamenco artist and diplomat.

Three years ago, the former gallery owner based in Brussels managed to effectively acquire not just one, but two head studies by the Flemish Baroque master in a single painting, paying the “reasonable price” of less than 100,000 euros in an online auction.

The auctioneer, who Muller would only identify as a “lesser-known auction house in northern Europe” for fear of encouraging competition future, had announced the work as a study on paper, undated, by an anonymous master of the “Flemish school”.

In the recent past, studies by Rubens were sold for values ​​between 570,000 and more than 1.1 million eurosnote or .

“I wasn’t sure it was a RubensI just knew that it was very Rubens-like, so it remained a bet”, said Muller, who describes himself as a passionate admirer of the artist and diplomat born in 1577.

“I have a library of books about him at home and I consult them almost every night,” he told the Guardian. “It’s a kind of addiction“.

He felt more confident when the painting was delivered to his home. “It was very dirty, but the varnish had protected the paint very well and I could see that it was of extremely high quality.”

But only after the painting has been studied for several months last year by art historian Ben from Below, former director of Casa Rubens, is that Muller began to feel confident that he had acquired a true work by the master.

“I think it is very likely“, said van Beneden. “We need to be careful because we are dealing with a painting that was not made for the market, but as a work material. But the craftsmanship is remarkable – it has a very realistic quality.”

The figure of the elderly man in the study appears in several of the paintings best known by Rubens. “It is ubiquitous and versatile“, wrote this week the Belgian newspaper that published the news of the painting’s discovery.

In “The Elevation of the Cross”, a raised altarpiece in Antwerp Cathedral, the elderly man is represented as Saint Loving. In “The Adoration of the Magi”, which is on display at the Prado museum in Madrid, It’s King Melchior in a red cloak. And in “The Coin Tribute”, at the Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco, the bearded elderly man is the Pharisee who lurks behind Jesus.

Inspired by Italian painters, Rubens brought together a series of physiognomies different ones that I could use for larger paintings. It is known that he created a study prototype of the old man’s head that has since been lost. “Muller may in fact have found the prototype,” says van Beneden.

A woman inside the elderly man’s beard, however, was painted first. Rather than trying to create an optical illusion, Rubens probably reused paper from a previous painting and drew over it, considers Muller.

The painting is andxposed at Muller’s house and will be presented at the Brafa art fair in Brussels on January 25th. Even though it was a study, said the art dealer, it deserved the widest possible audience.

A closer study of a painting of a man often depicted in works by the Flemish master revealed a hidden painting of a woman beneath the sitter’s beard. Rubens also made “optical illusions”.

It will be a bald elderly man with a big, bushy beard and a look drunk on wine? Or a nice young lady with loose hair and a crown of braids?

For the Belgian art dealer A glass to mer, the answer to that question mattered less than the fact that this particular interpretation of the “duck-rabbit” optical illusion was painted by a certain Peter Paul Rubens — none other than the 17th century flamenco artist and diplomat.

Three years ago, the former gallery owner based in Brussels managed to effectively acquire not just one, but two head studies by the Flemish Baroque master in a single painting, paying the “reasonable price” of less than 100,000 euros in an online auction.

The auctioneer, who Muller would only identify as a “lesser-known auction house in northern Europe” for fear of encouraging competition future, had announced the work as a study on paper, undated, by an anonymous master of the “Flemish school”.

In the recent past, studies by Rubens were sold for values ​​between 570,000 and more than 1.1 million eurosnote or .

“I wasn’t sure it was a RubensI just knew that it was very Rubens-like, so it remained a bet”, said Muller, who describes himself as a passionate admirer of the artist and diplomat born in 1577.

“I have a library of books about him at home and I consult them almost every night,” he told the Guardian. “It’s a kind of addiction“.

He felt more confident when the painting was delivered to his home. “It was very dirty, but the varnish had protected the paint very well and I could see that it was of extremely high quality.”

But only after the painting has been studied for several months last year by art historian Ben from Below, former director of Casa Rubens, is that Muller began to feel confident that he had acquired a true work by the master.

“I think it is very likely“, said van Beneden. “We need to be careful because we are dealing with a painting that was not made for the market, but as a work material. But the craftsmanship is remarkable – it has a very realistic quality.”

The figure of the elderly man in the study appears in several of the paintings best known by Rubens. “It is ubiquitous and versatile“, wrote this week the Belgian newspaper that published the news of the painting’s discovery.

In “The Elevation of the Cross”, a raised altarpiece in Antwerp Cathedral, the elderly man is represented as Saint Loving. In “The Adoration of the Magi”, which is on display at the Prado museum in Madrid, It’s King Melchior in a red cloak. And in “The Coin Tribute”, at the Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco, the bearded elderly man is the Pharisee who lurks behind Jesus.

Inspired by Italian painters, Rubens brought together a series of physiognomies different ones that I could use for larger paintings. It is known that he created a study prototype of the old man’s head that has since been lost. “Muller may in fact have found the prototype,” says van Beneden.

A woman inside the elderly man’s beard, however, was painted first. Rather than trying to create an optical illusion, Rubens probably reused paper of a previous painting and drew over it, considers Muller.

The painting is andxposed at Muller’s house and will be presented at the Brafa art fair in Brussels on January 25th. Even though it was a study, said the art dealer, it deserved the widest possible audience.