Who was Helena Fourment?
Helena Fourment, the youngest daughter of Daniël Fourment the elder—a prosperous silk and tapestry merchant in Antwerp—and Clara Stappaerts, had four brothers and six sisters. Upon his passing, Daniël Fourment bequeathed to his son, Daniël II, a remarkable collection that included tapestries from Oudenaarde, Brussels, and Antwerp, 35 paintings by his son-in-law, Rubens, a significant piece by Jordaens, and various works by Italian masters. Many of Helena’s sisters married into prominent families.
On 6 December 1630, Helena Fourment, at the age of 16, married Rubens, who was 53, in the Saint James Church in Antwerp. Rubens had been widowed since 1626 following the death of his first wife, Isabella Brant. Helena’s brother, Daniël Fourment the younger, was married to Clara Brant, Isabella’s sister. Their father, Daniël Fourment the elder, was an art enthusiast who owned works by Rubens, Jacob Jordaens, and several Italian masters. He also commissioned Rubens to create a series of tapestries illustrating the life of Achilles.
– Dutch – Helena Fourment werd beschouwd als zeer mooi, onder andere door de kardinaal-infant Ferdinand van Oostenrijk, destijds landvoogd van de Nederlanden, die zei dat zij “ongetwijfeld de mooiste is die men hier kan zien,” en door de dichter Gaspar Gevartius, een vriend van Rubens, die haar prees als “Helena van Antwerpen, die Helena van Troje ver overtreft.”