' Old Woman and a Boy with Candles' Pieter Paul Rubens , Flemish (1577-1640) Oil on panel , circa 1616-1670 . Mauritshuis , The Hague .

In 2005 the Maurithuis purchased this masterpiece by Pieter Paul Rubens , the great Flemish Baroque painter . In this nocturnal scene a boy is about to light a wick from a burning candle held by the old woman. Her old wrinkled face and the boy's smooth, soft cheek are beautifully lit by the flame . Shortly after returning from Italy at the end of 1608 , Rubens began to paint nocturnal scenes. In Italy he had become familiar with the work of Caravaggio - famous for his contrasts of light and shade - whose paintings served as examples for this panel. It is possible Rubens made this painting for his own pleasure, since it was still in his possession when he died . The panel is composed of 21 little boards whereas panels of this size usually consist of only one or two boards. This 'untidy' support makes it even more likely that Rubens made the painting for himself and not for an official buyer.