Abundance (Abundantia)

Peter Paul Rubens

Oil on panel

State Hermitage Museum

This luminous oil sketch depicts Abundantia, the Roman goddess of prosperity, as a voluptuous young woman seated at the center of the composition with a cornucopia resting on her lap, from which fruits spill forth to symbolize nature's generosity toward mankind. Two cherubic putti eagerly gather the tumbling fruit, while a purse beneath the woman's foot contrasts material wealth with natural bounty. This work is a preparatory oil sketch — painted by Rubens's own hand — thought to have been a study for a tapestry design, and originally paired with a companion piece depicting Justice. Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640), the undisputed master of Flemish Baroque painting, was renowned for his exuberant style rich in movement, color, and sensuality, and this intimate sketch showcases his extraordinary draftsmanship and the warm, radiant palette that made him the most celebrated painter in 17th-century Europe — making it a breathtaking and historically resonant work to display in any home.