This is the 45-year-old Rubens at his most self-confident, a painting deliberately intended to showcase the artist's talent. In 1621 Rubens had sent a (now lost) painting, The Lion Hunt, to England, not realising it was intended for the Prince of Wales. It was returned after being recognised as a studio work and this self-portrait was subsequently sent as an apology two years later. Charles I clearly admired this painting and hung it alongside self-portraits of Van Dyck and Daniel Mytens in the Breakfast Chamber at Whitehall.

Cat. 11