The Three Graces

The ancient mythological figures known as ‘The Three Graces’ are captured here by the Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) in a moment of joyful dance. The three figures flow and bend, their movements complemented and framed by the young slender trees curving around them. Each of the Three Graces skips, with one foot connected to the earth and one foot in the air, as if springing from the earth. Strands of their Grecian-style coiled hair are beginning to work themselves free, signalling the vigorous energy of their twirling dance. Looking from right to left, the right-hand Grace turns happily smiling to the other two, one arm across the shoulder of the middle Grace and with the other clasping her hand. The Grace in the centre continues the link by holding the upper arm of the Grace on the left who leads their dance by shaking the tambourine that she holds aloft. A swathe of transparent fabric, faintly tinged with blue, interweaves the three figures and the same blue is echoed in the sky among the clouds. This form of oil sketch in limited tones is called a grisaille. Grisaille sketches were often made in preparation for a piece of sculpture and, much like a sculptor, Rubens shows here that he can render a body in the round, from all angles: frontal, side, and reverse. In this rapidly executed sketch, despite only using a limited palette, Rubens achieves a dynamic sense of rippling movement through using grey and white highlights which dance across the bare skin of these three figures.  

According to ancient Greek mythology, each Grace bestowed a particular gift on humanity: Euphrosyne gave the gift of mirth, Aglaia that of elegance, and Thalia that of youth and beauty. The Three Graces were described by most ancient Greek sources as being the daughters of Zeus, the king of the Gods who lived on Mount Olympus. Their purpose was to bring festive joy and enhance the pleasures of life by their refinement and gentleness and, as the Grecian temple in the left-hand background here suggests, they dwelt with the gods. The Graces were a popular theme for artists and Rubens depicted this subject several times. Here they serve as the main subject, but they were usually depicted as the attendants to goddesses, especially Venus. This traditional arrangement of the group with the central figure turned is found in ancient Roman frescos in Pompeii and on ancient Greek Vases, ancient sources of which Rubens would have been aware.