The Maid of Honor to the Infanta Isabella Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)

Description of Peter Rubens’ Portrait of the Infanta Isabella’s Chambermaid

In 1625, Rubens created a pencil portrait of a chambermaid. He did not like this type of woman. Usually, his paintings show ladies striking with the opulence of their bodies. The artist depicted almost a girl. She is very young. This is a real flower, which is very fragile. In all the features one can feel the angularity of the child.

After the drawing was finished, the artist decides to create an entire painting. Before that, Rubens had depicted grandiose canvases that thrilled his contemporaries. He was a true colossus. And suddenly he stopped his eyes on nothing, seemingly unremarkable lady. What happened?

The artist has put into this portrait all his experience. Rubens inherent mysteries. That is why the picture should be considered very long. A young woman of the 17th century is looking at the wall. We are separated by centuries. But the magic of the artist’s brushwork is astounding. It is impossible to see the open colors. Everything seems to fuse into a single gamut, which miraculously immerses the viewer in the era. It is as if we are breathing the same air as the artist.

The infanta’s eyes look at us slightly creepily and yet affectionately. Her eyebrows are slightly raised, as if Isabella is surprised by something. There is not a single wrinkle on her smooth face. She is not allowed to show any concern. But you can feel the tension in her thin nostrils, which flutter slightly. Her pupils are dilated. They, too, are maximally tense. They betray the heroine’s incredible excitement. At the same time, her lips are pressed together. An extra word will never get out of them.

The Infanta can masterfully keep all the secrets of the palace. The court simply does not like witnesses to any terrible secrets. But it is impossible to do without them. We feel very uncomfortable under this scrutiny that assesses everything.

This is not just a portrait, but an entire treatise. The artist analyzes the courtyard from a psychological point of view. His painting symbolizes the vanity of the struggle for power, which is essentially hollow.