Portrait of Susanna Lunden
Peter Paul Rubens·1622
Historical Context
The Portrait of Susanna Lunden (Le Chapeau de Paille, c. 1622-25) at the National Gallery is one of the most technically celebrated portraits in European painting and a work of exceptional importance for the history of Impressionist art as well as Baroque portraiture. When Peter Paul Rubens showed this portrait to the young Velázquez during the Spanish artist's visit to Antwerp in 1628, it reportedly demonstrated to Velázquez the possibility of painting sunlight directly as observed experience rather than as stylized convention — a lesson that transformed Spanish portraiture. Two centuries later, Rubens himself described his admiration for the work's treatment of light, and when Constance de Rohan, Princess of Ligne, arranged for Rubens to meet the portrait's subject she did so partly because he so admired it. Renoir studied the portrait at the National Gallery as well, and his response — to develop the specific quality of sunlight on female skin in naturalistic outdoor settings — represents another branch of influence reaching from this single canvas into the entire French Impressionist tradition.
Technical Analysis
The portrait captures the sitter in a moment of animated engagement, with Rubens' virtuosic handling of light on her face and the shimmering fabrics of her costume. The dramatic sky backdrop and the handling of reflected light on flesh demonstrate his supreme painterly skill.
Look Closer
- ◆Susanna Lunden looks out from beneath a broad-brimmed hat with a direct, almost flirtatious gaze that creates immediate connection.
- ◆Her fair complexion is rendered with the luminous pearlescent technique Rubens reserved for his most admired female subjects.
- ◆The hat and décolletage suggest informal almost private circumstances — this portrait feels stolen from a moment of intimate conversation.
- ◆The quick confident brushwork in the hat and background contrasts with the more careful modelling of the face.
Condition & Conservation
This portrait, sometimes identified as the famous "Chapeau de Paille" (Straw Hat), has been well-maintained. The luminous flesh painting and lively brushwork in the hat are in excellent condition. The painting has been carefully cleaned to preserve the subtle tonal transitions. The panel support is stable.
