Skip to main content

Peter Paul Rubens, 'Portrait of Ludovicus Nonnius', about 1630-2

About the work

Overview

The aged antiquarian and doctor Ludovicus Nonnius meets our gaze with watery eyes. With his slightly parted lips, he appears to engage us in discussing a passage from the book he holds, which is most likely his recently published text, Diaeteticon sive de recibaria, Libri IV. In this he argues for the importance of diet, his research based on the eating habits of the ancient Romans.

Nonnius was a friend of Rubens in Antwerp, and the artist shows his respect for the old scholar by painting him in fine clothing, seated in a stately chair and framed by grand classical architecture. The bust is identified in Greek lettering as Hippocrates (around 460–around 370 BC), the founder of medicine and a respected forebear of Nonnius in terms of his medical and classical learning. The books on the ledge emphasise the scholarly achievements of the sitter; the cover ties of two hang undone, suggesting that he has recently consulted them.

Key facts

Details

Full title
Portrait of Ludovicus Nonnius
Artist dates
1577 - 1640
Date made
about 1630-2
Medium and support
oil on wood
Dimensions
124.4 × 92.2 cm
Acquisition credit
Bought, 1970
Inventory number
NG6393
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection
Frame
18th-century English Frame

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

Images