Met-rejected Rubens portrait exhibited in Antwerp

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In 2013, Sotheby’s auctioned Portrait of a young girl, possibly Clara Serena Rubens in New York which sold for $626,500 (with fees) at a fraction of its estimate ($20,000-$30,000). Catalogued as being painted by a “follower of Peter Paul Rubens”, the Metropolitan Museum sold the portrait to bolster its acquisition fund along with 15 other Old Masters paintings, believing it not to be by the hand of Rubens.

HAPPENING
Peter Paul Rubens, Portrait of a young girl, possibly Clara Serena Rubens
© Sotheby’s. Courtesy: The Rubenshuis


The deaccessioned work has since been authenticated by The Rubenshuis (The Rubens House) in Antwerp where it is taking part in the exhibition “Rubens in Private: the Master Portrays his Family” from March 28 to June 28. Subsequent research and cleaning of the painting has convinced Ben van Beneden, director of Antwerp’s Rubenshuis, that the painting is authentic. He dates it from 1620 to 1623, the year when Clara died at the age of 12. Katelijne Van der Stighelen also accepts the attribution and wrote the catalogue entry for the exhibition.

However the Metropolitan Museum stands by its decision to sell it and Rubens specialists remain uncertain. David Jaffe, a London-based Rubens specialist (and former National Gallery senior curator), says he remains “doubtful” about the attribution to Rubens.

The exhibition in Antwerp reveals Peter Paul Rubens’ (1577–1640) most intimate portraits of his wives, Isabella who died at a young age, and Helena, as well as his children, sisters and brothers-in-law. Although the artist disliked painting portraits, he is considered as one of the masters of portraiture of his time.