Two Young Women with a Dog

Peter Paul Rubens did not use animals within his art very often, other than horses in his military based scenes of victorious poses but in this drawing he adds a small dog to complete a charming portrait of two young women.

This study drawing is left unfinished in the lower right hand side but there is still enough to appreciate it as an artwork in its own right. The lady on the right looks longingly at her friend who relaxed with the small dog grasped tightly in her grasp. The women nearest the viewer receives much greater detail and is dressed prettily which the artist captures carefully, also adding some slight shadows behind her head just to lift the drawing off the paper a little.

Peter Paul Rubens had a style for depicting lips that you can see clearly in this drawing, with both women sporting particularly pursed, succulent lips. The artist then completes both faces with bright, large eyes and dainty noses - his considered form of female beauty. This scene is a true representation of friendship, with the pet dog adding an extra level of domestic comfort.