Visit Rubens House in Antwerp and learn more about the life and work of Peter Paul Rubens. He is a famous Flemish painter and artist. In the 16^th century he was the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque. Rubens paintings were portraits, landscapes and historical paintings of mythological subjects. He was a diplomat and knighted by Philip IV of Spain and Charles I of England. Rubenshuis (in Dutch) is a museum since 1946.

Rubenshuis

In 1610 Rubens and his wife Isabella Brant bought a house and land in Antwerp. The following years he expanded the house according to his own design. He constructed a semicircular sculpture museum, a workshop, a porch with triumphal arches and statues and a garden pavilion. The house is built as an Italian palazzo. It’s a result of Rubens artistic architectural ideals: the art of Ancient Rome and the Italian Renaissance. He collected international antiquity such as paintings and sculptures. Rubens lived in this house until he died in 1640.

The kitchen

This impressive kitchen has a huge fireplace with meat hooks and several kitchen utensils. They used jars and pots for spices and herbs. Above the fireplace is a painting from Alexander Adriaenssen. Ruben’s friend and neighbour. The painting shows several birds species that were eaten in the 17^th century. Popular species to eat were duck, kingfisher, starling and partridges.

Rubens Art Room

In the early 17^th century wealthy citizens started a modest art collection. Rubens had an impressive collection and kept the most beautiful art work in his kunstkamer, or art room. His favourites were Italian and Flemish paintings from the 16^th and 17^th century. Rubens was also a collector of Ancient Roman sculptures. He surrounded himself with examples he was inspired by and tried to follow these examples. As businessmen he used his collection as investment and merchandise.

The bedroom

Until late in the 17^th century the bed is placed in the best room. And close to the fireplace. A freestanding bed in a separate room was only possible for the richest families. The curtains of the bed protected the residents from the cold at night. The bed is short compared too the beds we sleep in today. In the 17^th century they slept semi-seated. They believed the semi-seated position was healthier for digestion and the circulatory system.

Porch

Rubens worked in Italy from 1600 until 1608. He liked the Ancient Roman art and Italian Renaissance. His stay in Rome inspired him to build a grand porch at his house. The porch is an example of the historical Roman triumphal arches. The central passage at Rubenshuis is inspired by Porta Pia, a famous city gate in Rome. Porta Pia is designed by the renaissance artist Michelangelo. Rubens placed two Roman Gods above the porch; Mercurius the God of painters and Minerva, the Goddess of Wisdom.

Rubens Workshop

Short after Rubens opened his workshop, the international demand for his work increased. To meet the demand Rubens hired assistants. For the bigger assignments Rubens made oil-paint sketches. His assistants painted the sketches on a large format. In line of customs the master painted the main parts. Rubens added certain accents and gave it the finishing touch. The most important assignments were done by Rubens. With this workshop organization Rubens followed in the footsteps of great Italian renaissance artists such as Rafael and Michelangelo.

Garden Pavilion

The current garden is a reconstruction of the garden in Rubens’s time. It’s not sure how the garden looked like in the 17^th century. Rubens planted newly discovered plants in his garden such as sunflowers, orange and fig trees. It’s a lovely oasis in the city centre of Antwerp.

Other In The World’s Jungle articles

Visit Rubens House in Antwerp is the third article of Project Antwerp. I started project Antwerp during the Covid-19 lockdown to explore my hometown. Other two articles I have written are Monumental highlights in Antwerp and Unique theatres and cinemas. Do you like history and architecture? Read the Beginners Guide to Architecture to discover the rich architectural styles of Europe. Starting with Ancient Rome until the Neoclassicism.

Interested in other locations in Europe? Read articles about my visits to Krakow, Stockholm, Texel and Paris. In need of more practical info? Have a look at articles about how to set up a travel budget, the best travel apps I use or how to plan a long term journey.