The Rubens House > Collection > Paintings > Rubens’ own work > Henry IV at the Battle of Ivry
Henry IV at the Battle of Ivry
This canvas gives a good idea of how Rubens created his paintings on the basis of large, freehanded sketches.
If we look carefully, we can see that the work is not quite finished. Some parts of the picture are quite detailed; elsewhere we see only rough outlines. Brush in hand, Rubens was clearly still searching for a suitable composition. The helmeted soldier in the centre, for example, has three arms and two weapons.
The painting was one of a planned series of six on the life of the French king Henry IV, which was never completed for some reason. For the battle scene in the background Rubens enlisted the help of Pieter Snayers, a specialist in these sorts of tableaux. Later, Rubens probably would have added his own finishing touches to the scene.
Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)
Henry IV at the Battle of Ivry
oil on canvas
