Peter Paul Rubens

Peter Paul Rubens was born in Siegen in 1577. His father Jan was under house arrest for an affair with the wife of William I of Orange. One year after Peter Paul Rubens was born, the family moved to Cologne, then later to Antwerp. There Rubens began his artistic training under such teachers as Adam van Noort. Following a stay of several years in Italy, Rubens became court painter to the Governor of the Spanish Netherlands. 

In Antwerp he founded a workshop which rapidly rose to become one of the most important in Europe. The master’s success only became possible through its perfect organisation. The workshop not only produced paintings by his own hand, but also numerous works by his students, who implemented Rubens’ designs.

The Rubens Room shows a broad selection of Rubens’ works from various creative periods, which illustrate well his artistic evolution. Not only the brilliance of the works created by his own hand, such as the oil sketch Ecce Homo, are clearly shown through the paintings on display, also the impressive achievement and working method of his workshop.