An Old Woman and a Boy with Candles - Paulus Pontius

A masterful Baroque engraving by Paulus Pontius, depicting an old woman lighting a candle for a young boy, based on a design by Peter Paul Rubens.

This engraving by Paulus Pontius depicts an elderly woman lighting a candle for a young boy. The composition draws inspiration from a painting by Peter Paul Rubens, whose name appears on the plate as the inventor of the design. The scene focuses on the interaction between the two figures, illuminated by the warm glow of the candle against a dark, atmospheric background.

Pontius, a skilled engraver who frequently collaborated with Rubens, demonstrates his mastery of light and shadow through the use of varied hatching and cross-hatching techniques. The contrast between the weathered features of the woman and the smooth, youthful face of the boy creates a narrative tension. The Latin inscription at the bottom, 'Quis vetet apposito, lumen de lumine tolli. Mille licet capiant, deperit inde nihil', translates to 'Who would forbid that light be taken from light? Though a thousand may take it, nothing is lost from it'. This text provides a philosophical layer to the domestic act, suggesting themes of shared knowledge or generosity.

The print captures the dramatic chiaroscuro typical of the period. The light source is contained entirely within the frame, casting deep shadows that define the forms of the figures. Pontius uses the burin to create textures, from the soft fabric of the woman's clothing to the flickering flame itself. This work reflects the collaborative nature of the Flemish printmaking industry, where painters provided designs for professional engravers to translate into reproducible media. It remains a fine example of seventeenth-century reproductive printmaking, showing the technical precision required to convey the painterly effects of Rubens in monochrome.