Zelfportret Rubens

About Rubens

He was capable of everything and knew everything. He was a brilliant and versatile artist, run a large studio, spoke several languages, collected art, designed his own home, travelled around Europe as a diplomat and was interested in science. Rubens was well-versed in almost everything.

Rubens

His life

Probably nobody could have predicted predict when Peter Paul Rubens was born in the sixteenth century that his name would resonate well into the twenty-first century. Then again Rubens never went out of fashion in the last 400 years. He is probably one of the most versatile artists ever.

Rubens

His personality

Not much is known about Rubens's personality. His contemporaries describe him as an extremely charming and likeable man, with excellent manners.

De wandeling in de tuin

The family man

Rubens was world-famous in his own time. In spite of his many activities, he was also a real family man. He experienced intense moments of domestic bliss. But there was more to Rubens's life than fortune and glory.

De kruisafneming

The artist

Rubens was the most sought out painter of Europe. He painted biblical and mythological scenes, intimate landscapes, hunting scenes and portraits as well as producing designs for statues, title pages and tapestries. Rubens was a jack of all trades in artistic terms.

Beeldenmuseum

The collector

The greatest collection in all of Antwerp

Rubens had an eye for quality. He was also an excellent businessman, qualities which prove quite useful to this passionate collector. His art collection was the largest in Europe. And many eminent people from all over Europe wanted to see his collection in person.

Detail uit de Kunstkamer van Cornelis van der Geest

The celebrity

The most sought out painter of Europe.

Today Rubens is probably Antwerp's most famous inhabitants ever. But it was no different during his lifetime. Rubens was the most sought out painter of Europe