On the tracks of Peter Paul Rubens in Antwerp

The Rubens House in Antwerp is one of the city’s most famous sights. We learned more about the artist in the garden, in the museum and in the “Rubens Experience”.

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Who was Peter Paul Rubens?

Peter Paul Rubens was an important Flemish painter, draughtsman and diplomat.

Rubens was born in Siegen. The family moved to Cologne a year later and then to Antwerp, where Rubens began his artistic training and died in 1640.

Rubens’ works are known for their vibrancy, dynamism and sensual expressiveness, which characterized the Baroque style. His paintings include religious, mythological and historical subjects. He was also a master of portraiture and created numerous works for European courts and churches. He is said to have created around 1400 paintings, although one must be careful with this statement.

Peter Paul Rubens ran a large artist’s workshop in Antwerp, in which numerous pupils and assistants worked. This workshop was organized in such a way that Rubens often designed the main composition of a painting, while the pupils or assistants executed parts of it. Works that were created entirely by pupils could thus be sold under Rubens’ name. It is often only minimal differences, such as the brushstroke or the level of detail, that distinguish the works of teacher and pupil.

In addition to his work as an artist, Rubens was also a successful diplomat. He was commissioned by various rulers to conduct political negotiations. In 1630, for example, he was an envoy to England to promote peace between Spain and England.

History of the Rubens House

The Rubens House in Antwerp was the home and workshop of the famous Flemish Baroque painter. He bought the property in 1610, shortly after his marriage to Isabella Brant.

The house is located on the Wapper, a central street in Antwerp. The artist had the house rebuilt according to his own designs. He wanted to use it as a home for his family and as a workshop for his artistic work. The model for the conversion was the Italian palazzi that Rubens had admired during his time in Italy.

After Rubens’ death in 1640, the house changed hands several times and was repeatedly remodeled, losing many of its original features in the process. The connection to Rubens was even forgotten for a time.

In the 20th century, the historical significance of the Rubens House was recognized and it was restored to the state it was in during Rubens’ lifetime. Of course, the garden was not forgotten. It was designed in the style of a Baroque Renaissance garden and offers an impression of what Rubens’ private retreat might have looked like.

Today, the Rubens House is a museum that offers insights into the life and work of the artist. Visitors can not only admire the architecture, but also see a collection of works of art, furniture and objects from Rubens’ time. A special highlight is a visit to the “Rubens Experience”, the garden and the library.

Visit to the Rubens House

During our stay, the museum in the Rubens House was closed due to restoration work. It was a shame, but we were able to enjoy a tour of the garden and a visit to the Rubens Experience.

We entered the very modern entrance area of the Rubens House. We had booked our tickets online in advance. You need a fixed admission time for the Rubens Experience and as we were there a little earlier, we went into the garden first.

Rubens’ garden

Rubens originally designed the garden himself. His love of Italian art and architecture, which he developed during his travels to Italy, is very evident here. He not only created a private retreat. He also wanted to use the garden as a representative space where he could receive guests and present his art collection.

Typical of the Renaissance and early Baroque period, the garden is laid out in a symmetrical, geometric style and planted with plants and flowers from the Baroque period, including herbs, ornamental plants and fruit trees.

Today, after the garden has been restored and is once again resplendent in the “Rubens style”, a beautiful place has been created for visitors to the Rubens House. You can stroll along plants and some works of art on landscaped paths.

„Rubens Experience“

Just in time for the start of our time slot, we returned to the entrance area. A staircase (there is also an elevator) took us to the basement. Here, the “Rubens Experience” has been designed to serve visitors as a “substitute” for the closed museum area.

The “Rubens Experience” enables visitors to get to know Rubens not only as an artist, but also as a person. With the help of lifelike videos and interactive tools, a picture of Rubens’ personality, his everyday life and his significance for art history is conveyed. Here you can find out why Rubens is held in such high esteem and what made him one of the greatest artists of the Baroque period.

A movie is shown every 30 minutes (Attention! Different languages are offered at different times). Some visitors can find a seat on stools and in a small seating area. However, you shouldn’t wait too long, otherwise you’ll have to stand. For me, the movie was just great. Although I love learning about the past in museums, I often don’t feel like walking around with an audio guide or reading texts. This really well produced film gave me an insight into the time and, above all, the life of the artist that I certainly wouldn’t have had otherwise. In this way, a completely different target group is given access to the subject. Hopefully the offer will continue after the museum reopens.

After the movie, when the light gets brighter again, you have time to look around the room. There is a lot to discover and none of the stations are limited to “just looking”. There are opportunities to get active everywhere. For example, it’s great fun to try to bend your own body into the same position using a picture of a statue. It’s not that easy! I also had a lot of fun looking for very small sections of a “whole” picture.

The next filming session started again far too quickly and we had to wait for the next break. So my tip: try to make the most of the time before the movie! We definitely had a lot of fun and also learned a lot about Rubens.

Visitor information

Address

Wapper 9-11,
2000 Antwerpen, Belgien

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