Modello for the Title-Page to Corderius's "Commentaries on Saint Luke"
- Artist: Peter Paul Rubens
- Date: before September 1628
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the Modello for the Title-Page to Corderius's "Commentaries on Saint Luke" by Peter Paul Rubens. The sketch is a large oil on canvas that serves as the design for the title page of a 1628 Antwerp publication of the Gospel commentaries. At the very top, Saint Luke himself dominates the composition, flanked on one side by the dove of the Holy Spirit and on the other by a personified figure of Truth. The artist extends the skin of an ox—Luke’s traditional emblem—across the canvas, creating a subtle frame that will later hold the printed title, a detail that would be added by the engraver.
What makes this piece stand out is its execution in grisaille, a monochromatic technique usually reserved for limited decorative work. Rubens designed fifty title pages for this series, but only four were rendered in grisaille, making this sketch a rare example of that method. The restrained palette and careful modeling hint at the painter’s mastery of chiaroscuro even before the final ink and color would be applied.
Created before September 1628, the work reflects Rubens’ interest in blending textual and visual storytelling. Its size and detail suggest it was intended as a preparatory study, guiding the engraver in translating the complex iconography into a printable format. The result is a striking convergence of theological symbolism and artistic ingenuity that encapsulates the spirit of early 17th‑century Antwerp publishing.
See it in person
Modello for the Title-Page to Corderius's "Commentaries on Saint Luke" hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
