Study Heads of an Old Man

About the Art

When the DAI acquired this painting, only the figure on the right was visible. The face on the left had been painted over completely. Examination under UV light in 1990 showed a paint layer on the left fluorescing differently than the rest of the painting, indicating a large area of overpaint. Imaging with X-radiograph showed there was a second head under the overpaint. This had been painted over much later by someone other than the artist, most likely to change this study into a portrait, which could make it more attractive to potential buyers. The DAI decided to return the painting to the artist’s original composition. Conservation finished in 1991 identified the work to be the study of a man from two different angles, rather than a singular portrait. The man pictured appears in more than thirty of Ruben’s larger works.

FEATURED IMAGE
Sir Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577–1641), Study Heads of an Old Man, about 1612, oil on oak panel, 26 1/2 x 19 3/4 inches (67.3 x 50.2 cm). Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Carlton W. Smith, 1960.82