Peter Paul
Rubens
The most prolific genius of the 17th century — painter, diplomat, scholar and the defining master of the European Baroque.
Painter, Diplomat, Scholar
Peter Paul Rubens was born in Siegen in 1577 and trained in Antwerp before spending eight transformative years in Italy, where he absorbed Titian, Michelangelo, Caravaggio and the antique. Returning to Antwerp in 1608, he became the most sought-after painter in Europe within years — running a vast workshop that produced altarpieces, mythological paintings and portraits for the greatest courts of the continent.
Uniquely among the great painters, Rubens was also a diplomat of European standing — trusted by Philip IV of Spain and Charles I of England to negotiate at the highest levels of international politics. His intelligence operated simultaneously in paint and in statecraft.
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The Two Greatest Paintings in Northern Europe
From Siegen to the Courts of Europe
Born into a family in exile, trained in Antwerp and transformed by eight years in Italy, Rubens returned to Flanders at 31 and spent the next three decades producing more great paintings than any other artist in history — while simultaneously negotiating international peace treaties between Spain and England.
His studio on the Wapper in Antwerp became the most productive artistic enterprise since the Renaissance workshops of Florence. His workshop included the young Anthony van Dyck. Kings competed for his time.
Read the Full Biography →Beyond the Paintings
The only great painter who was also a European statesman — how Rubens brokered peace between England and Spain while producing his greatest works.
The WorkshopHow Rubens managed one of history's most productive artistic enterprises, with Van Dyck, Jordaens and Snyders working under his direction.
Italy 1600–1608The eight years in Mantua, Rome, Genoa and Venice that transformed a gifted Flemish painter into the supreme master of Baroque art.