Self-Portrait in a Circle of Friends from Mantua

"Self-Portrait in a Circle of Friends from Mantua" is an Oil painting on Canvas by the Flemish Peter Paul Rubens, created between 1602 and 1606 during his time as a court painter in Mantua. It is noted as Rubens’ earliest known self-portrait. This work exemplifies the 16th- and 17th-century genre of friendship portraits, depicting an informal gathering of Stoic friends. The painting manifests the Baroque style’s lively character and captures the camaraderie among the subjects, providing insight into the artist’s social circle during his Mantuan period. It is housed in the Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne.