This oil painting on canvas entitled The Four Corners of the World, in the University's fine art collection has been identified as a copy of a painting by Peter Paul Rubens, called The Four Rivers of Paradise which he painted around 1612-15 in Antwerp.

Probably painted in the 18th century, this copy has no signature or date but it definitely makes an impression with its huge size of over 3 metres wide, extravagant style and highly decorative frame. The painting is not of the same quality as Rubens’s original, yet there are areas of the painting, particularly the anatomical features of the human figures, whose workmanship is of a high standard. Unfortunately mystery surrounds the name of the artist and the circumstances in which they made a copy of the Rubens original.

Restoration

Meaning of the Painting

The four continents of Europe, Africa, Asia and America, are represented in the female human form, each accompanied with what is possibly a river-god of their respective rivers – the Danube, the Ganges, The Nile and the Rio de la Plata. Europe is shown on the left, Africa in the middle, Asia on the right and America behind it, to the left. Australia is not represented at all as it had probably not yet been recognised as a continent at the time the original was painted.

The symbolic meaning of the painting is a subject for discussion. Peter Paul Rubens who painted the original, was a Catholic whose art frequently portrayed religious themes. It could be that this painting symbolizes the spread of the Catholic faith around the world. It could also symbolize world trade or simply knowledge of the existence of the different continents and their rich possibilities.

A more recent interpretation is that the river figures are allegories for the four rivers of paradise. The original painting is known as either The Four Continents or The Four Rivers of Paradise, reflecting different theories about what the work symbolises.

Rubens was noted for his allegorical paintings in the extravagant Baroque style and this picture is no exception. As well as the ‘human’ figures the picture features putti, a tiger with suckling cubs, a crocodile, sea shells a crab and putti.

The original painting of The Four Rivers of Paradise or The Four Continents by Peter Paul Rubens hangs in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Find out more here.