Old Woman and Boy with Candles

Описание: Peter Paul Rubens — Old Woman and Boy with Candles, 1616–1617
This is one of the earliest works in the Netherlands influenced by Caravaggio, whose dramatic use of light, shadow, and realism Rubens encountered during his time in Italy (1600–1608). The scene is tightly composed and emotionally charged.

An old woman holds a short candle, shielding its flame with her hand. A boy leans in to light his own candle. The light comes from below, illuminating only the faces and parts of their clothing — the rest fades into darkness. The woman’s wrinkled face is rendered with remarkable detail, showing the weight of time.

Rubens later added a Latin quote from Ovid to a print of the painting:
“A thousand lights may be kindled from one without diminishing it.”
This transforms the scene into an allegory: the passing of knowledge, life, and desire from one generation to the next — not by loss, but through continuity.

The woman doesn’t look at the boy. Her gaze is distant, detached.
It reflects regret for lost love, for time that cannot return. Her gesture is silent advice: don’t miss what I once did.

The panel is assembled from scrap wood — likely a personal or teaching work, not a commissioned piece.
It stands as a quiet masterclass in light and symbolism, where Rubens merges technical brilliance with unspoken emotion.