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The Garden of Love
Peter Paul Rubens · Baroque & Dutch Golden Age
- Artist
- Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640)
- Date
- c. 1633
- Dimensions
- 199 x 286 cm
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain
The Garden of Love shows elegant couples in rich silks gathered on a terrace in front of a classical grotto, talking, flirting and resting, while plump cupids flutter above them with garlands and torches.
A closer look
Painted after Rubens's marriage to the sixteen-year-old Helena Fourment, the scene is a celebration of love and married happiness. On the left, a young man gently guides a hesitant woman into the group while a cupid pushes her from behind; Rubens and Helena may be among the couples. A fountain topped by a statue of Venus pours water from her breasts, a symbol of fertility. The rich colours, swirling movement and sensual figures make it a joyful hymn to love.
More by Peter Paul Rubens
In this gallery
The Union of Earth and Water
Medici Cycle: The Exchange of Princesses of France and Spain
The Elevation of the Cross
The Three Graces