ルーベンス

Peter Paul Rubens was one of the most famous artists in Europe during the 17th century, the era of Baroque art. After serving his apprenticeship as an artist in Antwerp (in what is now Belgium), he attained the status of an independent master in 1600 and moved to Italy, where he became court painter to the Duke of Mantua. He also spent time in Rome and other Italian cities, studying the art of Antiquity and the Renaissance.0After 8 years in Italy, Rubens returned to Antwerp where he was appointed court painter to Archduke Albert and Archduchess Isabella, sovereigns of the Spanish Netherlands (Flanders). He established a large workshop with many assistants and set to work with great energy. Around 1619, he was able to obtain copyright over his prints so that he could ensure the proper dissemination of his compositions. Around 1623, he began serving as a diplomat in European courts and was successful in negotiating peace between Spain and England. Married twice and fathering eight children, he was a devoted family man and enthusiastically involved in his children’s education. 0This exhibition is the first in Japan to give a comprehensive look at Rubens’s artistic production, showing masterpieces by his own hand, works by his workshop and assistants who became independent, and prints made under his direct supervision. 0Exhibition: The Bunkamura Museum of Art, Japan (09.03.-21.04.2013) / Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art, Japan (28.04.-16.06.2013) / The Niigata Prefectural Museum of Modern Art, Japan (29.06.-11.08.2013).