The Adoration of the Eucharist

c. 1626

Rubens designed this elaborate oil sketch as part of a tapestry series intended for a convent in Madrid. He created two tiers of celebrants—the heavenly on the upper level and the earthly on the lower level. The series’ patron, Spanish archduchess Isabella Clara Eugenia, is represented in a nun’s habit at the lower left to signify her piety and reinforce her status as an important patron of the arts in the ruling family.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577–1640)

Date

c. 1626

Medium

Oil on panel

Dimensions

31.5 × 32 cm (12 1/2 × 12 1/2 in.); Framed: 47.6 × 47.6 × 7 cm (18 3/4 × 18 3/4 × 2 3/4 in.)

Origin

Flanders

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Mr. and Mrs. Martin A. Ryerson Collection