Portrait of Jordaens family

Jacob Jordaens painted the monumental family portrait around 1615, depicting himself with a lute alongside his parents and seven siblings. The artist's father Jacob the Elder, a cloth merchant, sits at the center with his wife Barbara van Wolshaten. Putti hovering above may represent three deceased sisters watching over the gathering.

The lute in Jordaens' hands symbolizes family harmony, while a dog in the foreground represents conjugal fidelity. The composition was influenced by Rubens, Jordaens' artistic mentor. Now at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, the painting remained in the family until the 18th century before passing through the collections of the Duke of Portland and Robert Walpole.