Rubens, Peter Paul

Rubens, Peter Paul (1577-1640), Flemish painter.

As a young painter, Peter Paul Rubens went to Italy to study and obtained a job with the Duke of Mantua. This allowed him to travel a great deal.

He returned to Antwerp in 1608 and became famous for his painting of the Crucifixion in Antwerp Cathedral.

For most of his life afterwards he lived in luxury in a great mansion.

He had so much work to do that he employed assistants to work on his paintings.

For ten years from 1623, he sometimes travelled to foreign countries as an ambassador for the Archduchess Isabella of Belgium, and on a visit to England he was knighted by King Charles I.

Rubens painted historical and religious scenes, landscapes and portraits.

His best known works include The Elevation of the Cross, The Straw Hat and The Adoration of the Magi.

In all he produced more than 1,200 paintings and many of them can be seen in galleries in Britain.

See Master of Shadows: The Secret Diplomatic Career of the Painter Peter Paul Rubens - Mark Lamster