The Rubens House > Collection > Virtual guided tour > Ground floor rooms > Parlour (3) > Grounds of a chateau in Ekeren
Grounds of a chateau in Ekeren
In Rubens’ day, well-heeled townspeople spent their summers at their country estates, far from the bustling cities.
Rubens owned two such estates himself, including this property in Ekeren, to the north of Antwerp. He bought it in 1627, when he was 50 years old. Nothing remains of the building or the surrounding land. The painting depicts a medieval castle in the midst of a park-like landscape. In the foreground young people can be seen enjoying the weather while an older man and a young woman observe their activities. The latter two figures are usually thought to be Rubens and his second wife, Helena Fourment.
Studio of Rubens
Grounds of a chateau in Ekeren
oil on panel