Traveling to Padua in the summer of 1620, the English Countess of Arundel stopped at Antwerp. Rubens made sketches there for a group portrait of her retinue, including this portrait of Robin. Rubens drew the face with a few swift strokes. He focused on the costume and made notes of colours and fabrics, such as satin and velvet. In the painted portrait (Alte Pinakothek, Munich), a falcon is perched on Robin’s outstretched arm.