In his magnificent family portrait, Jacob Jordaens depicted his parents, himself with a lute in his hand, and seven of his younger siblings seated at a table in a garden gazebo. The angels hovering over the heads of the depicted represent the souls of the children of the couple Jordaens, who had died by the time the portrait was painted.
The composition of the work was much borrowed by Jordaens from the painting ‘The Circumcision’ by Peter Paul Rubens, and its content reflects traditional ideals of Christian morality. Thus, the game on the lute represents the harmony of marriage and family, the dog in the foreground picture symbolizes marital fidelity, and the curly wall of the gazebo grapevine — constancy in love. The gesture of the father of the family holding in his right hand only a partially filled glass of wine is a hint of moderation, one of the most important Christian virtues.
According to one version, the portrait was painted on the occasion of Jordaens' admission to the St. Luke’s Guild in Antwerp, an association of artists that gave the right to open its own workshop and the advantages of receiving orders.
Jordans probably painted this portrait for his parents around 1615 and returned it to him after their death in 1634. At this time the artist made changes to the painting, adding dark colored objects to the foreground and covering the naked children with discreet garments. In this way, Jordans noticeably dimmed the light and vivid beauty of the original composition, typical of his early work.
The composition of the work was much borrowed by Jordaens from the painting ‘The Circumcision’ by Peter Paul Rubens, and its content reflects traditional ideals of Christian morality. Thus, the game on the lute represents the harmony of marriage and family, the dog in the foreground picture symbolizes marital fidelity, and the curly wall of the gazebo grapevine — constancy in love. The gesture of the father of the family holding in his right hand only a partially filled glass of wine is a hint of moderation, one of the most important Christian virtues.
According to one version, the portrait was painted on the occasion of Jordaens' admission to the St. Luke’s Guild in Antwerp, an association of artists that gave the right to open its own workshop and the advantages of receiving orders.
Jordans probably painted this portrait for his parents around 1615 and returned it to him after their death in 1634. At this time the artist made changes to the painting, adding dark colored objects to the foreground and covering the naked children with discreet garments. In this way, Jordans noticeably dimmed the light and vivid beauty of the original composition, typical of his early work.
