Rubenshuis

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Peter Paul Rubens welcomes you personally to his home, the Rubens House. One of the greatest artists of all time lived and worked here. Rubens&rsquo;s palatial city mansion and stunning garden made quite an impression on his contemporaries.

The house of Rubens

Peter Paul Rubens welcomes you personally to his home, the Rubens House. One of the greatest artists of all time lived and worked here. Rubens’s palatial city mansion and stunning garden made quite an impression on his contemporaries.

The Rubens House has recently added two new acquisitions to its collection: Mountainous Landscape with Satyrs and Goats by a cascade by the Flemish landscape artist Paul Bril (1554-1626) and Trapezophoros, an antique sculpture (2nd century AD). Both artworks have a link with the Rubens House. Bril&rsquo;s landscape painting is prominently featured in the &lsquo;The Art Gallery of Cornelis van der Geest&rsquo; and is now displayed alongside this painting. The Trapezophoros, meanwhile,is listed as being in Rubens&rsquo;s collection from 1618 until 1626, with the painter drawing on it on several occasions as inspiration for his work. The museum has now succeeded in permanently acquiring both these works with the Friends of The Rubens House in honour of Ben van Beneden, the former director of the Rubens House.

Twice reunited after 400 years: the Rubens House presents two new acquisitions

The Rubens House has recently added two new acquisitions to its collection: Mountainous Landscape with Satyrs and Goats by a cascade by the Flemish landscape artist Paul Bril (1554-1626) and Trapezophoros, an antique sculpture (2nd century AD). Both artworks have a link with the Rubens House. Bril’s landscape painting is prominently featured in the ‘The Art Gallery of Cornelis van der Geest’ and is now displayed alongside this painting. The Trapezophoros, meanwhile,is listed as being in Rubens’s collection from 1618 until 1626, with the painter drawing on it on several occasions as inspiration for his work. The museum has now succeeded in permanently acquiring both these works with the Friends of The Rubens House in honour of Ben van Beneden, the former director of the Rubens House.

The planned redevelopment of the Rubens House - with a new reception building in Hopland and a newly laid out garden - has now been expanded to include a refurbishment of the museum itself. The Rubens House will be open up to and including 8 January 2023 but will remain closed for a longer period. It will welcome visitors again in 2027, the year in which we celebrate the 450th anniversary of Rubens&rsquo; birth. The new-build in Hopland will open in 2024 as originally planned. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

Rubens House to close on 9 January 2023 and reopen in 2027

The planned redevelopment of the Rubens House - with a new reception building in Hopland and a newly laid out garden - has now been expanded to include a refurbishment of the museum itself. The Rubens House will be open up to and including 8 January 2023 but will remain closed for a longer period. It will welcome visitors again in 2027, the year in which we celebrate the 450th anniversary of Rubens’ birth. The new-build in Hopland will open in 2024 as originally planned. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

The Rubens House announced today that Bert Watteeuw has been appointed the museum&rsquo;s new director. Watteeuw is known in international museum circles for his innovative research into Flemish art of the 16th and 17th centuries. As the project leader of the architectural master plan for the Rubens House and the Rubenianum, he is currently realising the museum&rsquo;s ambitious plans for the future, blending innovation with respect for tradition. In Bert Watteeuw, the Rubens House will have a decisive and creative director.

Bert Watteeuw announced as new director of the Rubens House

The Rubens House announced today that Bert Watteeuw has been appointed the museum’s new director. Watteeuw is known in international museum circles for his innovative research into Flemish art of the 16th and 17th centuries. As the project leader of the architectural master plan for the Rubens House and the Rubenianum, he is currently realising the museum’s ambitious plans for the future, blending innovation with respect for tradition. In Bert Watteeuw, the Rubens House will have a decisive and creative director.

Following its restoration, &lsquo;The Gallery of Cornelis van der Geest&rsquo; has returned to the Rubens House in Antwerp. The original paint layer has been exposed again, revealing details that have remained hidden for many years. The wood cradle proved to be the greatest challenge for the restoration team, however. For centuries, high tensile forces in the wood caused repeated damage. A tailor-made secondary support was developed, drawing on an innovative technique from the aviation industry. The return of &lsquo;The Gallery of Cornelis van der Geest&rsquo; also marks the start of the last weeks of Ben van Beneden&rsquo;s tenure as the director of the Rubens House. He retires in September.

‘The Gallery of Cornelis van der Geest’ on display again at the Rubens House after a lengthy and complex restoration process

Following its restoration, ‘The Gallery of Cornelis van der Geest’ has returned to the Rubens House in Antwerp. The original paint layer has been exposed again, revealing details that have remained hidden for many years. The wood cradle proved to be the greatest challenge for the restoration team, however. For centuries, high tensile forces in the wood caused repeated damage. A tailor-made secondary support was developed, drawing on an innovative technique from the aviation industry. The return of ‘The Gallery of Cornelis van der Geest’ also marks the start of the last weeks of Ben van Beneden’s tenure as the director of the Rubens House. He retires in September.

Robbrecht and Daem Architects have designed a new Rubens-inspired reception building for the Rubens House. Located on Hopland, it will stand discreetly and to one side of Rubens&rsquo; celebrated sight-line from the portico to the garden pavilion. With a multimedia experience centre, a museum caf&eacute;, a reading room and the Rubenianum&rsquo;s extensive library collection, the design is an important link in the future vision for the Rubens House and the Rubenianum.

Rubens House announces future vision with new reception building by Robbrecht and Daem Architects

Robbrecht and Daem Architects have designed a new Rubens-inspired reception building for the Rubens House. Located on Hopland, it will stand discreetly and to one side of Rubens’ celebrated sight-line from the portico to the garden pavilion. With a multimedia experience centre, a museum café, a reading room and the Rubenianum’s extensive library collection, the design is an important link in the future vision for the Rubens House and the Rubenianum.

The Rubens House in Antwerp has a remarkable new exhibit to unveil: a recently rediscovered Rubens self-portrait. The work, painted in Italy, is the earliest known individual self-portrait by Peter Paul Rubens (1577&ndash;1640) and the second to grace the museum&rsquo;s permanent display. It is one of five new loans to add to the lustre of the artist&rsquo;s former residence in Antwerp. 
The Rubens House has been pursuing a highly active loan policy for some considerable time now. Close contacts with private collectors and museums have enabled the institution to share a great many outstanding works with the public in recent years. Today sees the presentation of five new loans of works by Rubens, Otto van Veen and Titian. The most important new addition is a newly identified Rubens self-portrait.
The young Rubens&rsquo; calling card
The newly discovered painting is Rubens&rsquo; earliest known individual self-portrait. It is a preparatory study for the likeness of himself that he incorporated in the most...

Rubens House presents new Rubens Self-Portrait

The Rubens House in Antwerp has a remarkable new exhibit to unveil: a recently rediscovered Rubens self-portrait. The work, painted in Italy, is the earliest known individual self-portrait by Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) and the second to grace the museum’s permanent display. It is one of five new loans to add to the lustre of the artist’s former residence in Antwerp.  The Rubens House has been pursuing a highly active loan policy for some considerable time now. Close contacts with private collectors and museums have enabled the institution to share a great many outstanding works with the public in recent years. Today sees the presentation of five new loans of works by Rubens, Otto van Veen and Titian. The most important new addition is a newly identified Rubens self-portrait. The young Rubens’ calling card The newly discovered painting is Rubens’ earliest known individual self-portrait. It is a preparatory study for the likeness of himself that he incorporated in the most important commission he received during his time at the court of the Gonzagas in the northern Italian city of Mantua: the decoration of the capella maggiore in the Jesuit church there. Although Rubens was taken on as court painter to the Gonzagas’ shortly after arriving in Italy, it took four years for him to land a truly major commission. He painted three immense canvases for the Jesuit church in 1604–05: The Gonzaga Family Adoring the Trinity, The Baptism of Christ and The Transfiguration. Rubens was so honoured by the commission that he included himself in the central scene, in which the Gonzaga family is shown worshipping the Holy Trinity. By incorporating his own likeness in the painting, Rubens immortalized himself as its maker – a ‘visual signature’ that served as the young artist’s first calling card. The canvases were taken from the church by Napoleon’s troops at the beginning of the nineteenth century and are now spread across a variety of European museums. The large central work has, moreover, been cut down and now survives only in a fragmentary and disfigured state. Rubens’ self-portrait has likewise been lost. The preliminary study has, however, been preserved and now becomes the fifth identified self-portrait by Rubens and the second on display at the Rubens House. The preparatory self-portrait recently re-emerged and – having been the subject of controversy in the past – has been attributed to Rubens once more by Ben van Beneden and Arnout Balis. Portraits and busts The Portrait of a young woman with a necklace likewise dates from Rubens’ Italian period, most likely Genoa in around 1605-06. The vibrant portrait shows a young woman with large, intense brown eyes and full red lips. It is especially noteworthy for the bravura of its execution, possibly in less than a single day. The young woman’s facial features and expression are subtly rendered, while her clothes are set down sketchily. It is clear from the edges that the portrait is unfinished. Also unveiled today is a late portrait of a high-ranking Venetian military commander by Titian, one of Rubens’ great Italian examples. The subject is thought to be Francesco Duodo, a key figure in the Battle of Lepanto (1571) – a historic naval engagement between a Christian alliance and the Ottoman Turks over control of the Mediterranean. Rubens’ bust portraits of the Roman emperors Vitellius (15–69 AD) and Vespasian (9–79 AD), meanwhile, originally belonged to a series of twelve and probably featured amongst the decoration of Rubens’ home, hung above the niches in his sculpture gallery. The sketchily applied strokes of paint make it unlikely that the works were intended for sale, while their oval shape suggests that the master painted them for a specific location or purpose. Capture of Rome Another work with an Italian flavour is The Capture of Rome by Otto van Veen, Rubens’ most important teacher. Van Veen, who Latinized his name to ‘Vaenius’, was a pictor doctus, a learned painter with a substantial knowledge of antique art and culture. The painting shows the capture of Rome, symbolized by the female personification of the city, who is led away with her hands behind her back. At her feet we see the she-wolf who fed Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome, and his brother Remus, while the city burns in the background. Intense contacts with collectors The new loans can be seen by the public from 9June2020 and are in keeping with the loans policy pursued by the Rubens House since 2007. For most publicly owned museums, the acquisition of works by big international names like Rubens, Anthony van Dyck or Titian ceased to be financially viable some time ago. Yet interest in a static collection will gradually begin to wane. For that reason, the Rubens House has engaged intensively with private and public collections in Belgium and abroad for almost 15 years now. Long-term loans like this fill the gaps in the permanent collection. More and more collectors are consciously choosing to share outstanding works in their possession with the public. Thanks to their generosity, the Rubens House can continue to surprise despite its limited budget.  Practical information  From 9 June 2020 Rubens House, Wapper 9–11, 2000 Antwerp www.rubenshuis.be Open Tuesday to Sunday/10am–5pm. Last entry at 4 pm. Closed Mondays, 1November, 25December and 1January. The museum is limiting the number of visitors to a strict minimum and is working with time slots. Only visitors with a valid e-ticket will be admitted to the museum. See https://www.rubenshuis.be/en/visit/museum-visit-during-corona for tickets and all information for a safe museum visit.

The 2020 European Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards saw the Rubens House honoured with one of the world&rsquo;s most renowned heritage prizes for the restoration of its portico and garden pavilion. The Rubens House was one of 21 heritage institutions to be recognized. The jury commended not only the restoration of these features &ndash; the only remaining architectural elements by Rubens himself &ndash; but also the design and the installation of the glass canopy. Members of the public are invited to vote online to help the Rubens House collect the Public Choice Award too.
The restoration of the portico and the garden pavilion at the Rubens House was announced as one of the winners in the &lsquo;Conservation&rsquo; category of the &lsquo;2020 European Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards&rsquo;. Together with twenty-one prize-winners from 15 European countries in six different categories the Rubens House was recognized for this year&rsquo;s awards. The restored portico and garden pavilion won in the most sought-after...

Rubens House wins 2020 European Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards with its restored portico and garden pavilion

The 2020 European Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards saw the Rubens House honoured with one of the world’s most renowned heritage prizes for the restoration of its portico and garden pavilion. The Rubens House was one of 21 heritage institutions to be recognized. The jury commended not only the restoration of these features – the only remaining architectural elements by Rubens himself – but also the design and the installation of the glass canopy. Members of the public are invited to vote online to help the Rubens House collect the Public Choice Award too. The restoration of the portico and the garden pavilion at the Rubens House was announced as one of the winners in the ‘Conservation’ category of the ‘2020 European Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards’. Together with twenty-one prize-winners from 15 European countries in six different categories the Rubens House was recognized for this year’s awards. The restored portico and garden pavilion won in the most sought-after category, together with other institutions like the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest (Hungary) and the Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio in L’Aquila (Italy). The jury commended not only the restoration of these features – the only remaining architectural elements by Rubens himself – but also the design and the installation of the glass canopy. The Rubens House is honoured to receive this international award. The museum worked for several years with numerous experts to prepare for the restoration of the portico and garden pavilion, before meticulously carrying out the works. The results of the restoration are stunning, further highlighting Rubens’ architectural skills. The ‘2020 European Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards’ pay tribute to this long-term project and recognize the highly skilled and patient work of the conservators. The Public Choice Award too? Heritage lovers can cast their vote at https://vote.europanostra.org/ for their favourite prize-winners to decide which organization will receive this year’s Public Choice Award. The winner will be announced after the summer and will receive a cash prize of 10,000 euros.  The Rubens House is closed at present to combat the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Online visits are still possible via www.rubenshuis.be.

The imposing portico and garden pavilion at the Rubens House can now be viewed again by the public. After a year and a half, their restoration is complete. A combination of protective and conservation measures has given the portico and garden pavilion back their splendour, while the meticulous treatment of the sculptural details does full justice to them once more. The restored portico is protected by a glass butterfly awning to prevent erosion of the stone and to ward off pollution. Visitors can now enter Rubens&rsquo;s home again in the way he intended: with a spectacular view of the portico and garden pavilion. He designed both features himself, making them rare evidence of Rubens as an architect. The garden pavilion and the portico in the style of a triumphal arch at the Rubens House in Antwerp were designed entirely by Peter Paul Rubens himself and are among the few traces anywhere in the world of the master as an architect. Following his return from Italy in 1608, Rubens introduced...

Rubens House completes restoration of portico and garden pavilion

The imposing portico and garden pavilion at the Rubens House can now be viewed again by the public. After a year and a half, their restoration is complete. A combination of protective and conservation measures has given the portico and garden pavilion back their splendour, while the meticulous treatment of the sculptural details does full justice to them once more. The restored portico is protected by a glass butterfly awning to prevent erosion of the stone and to ward off pollution. Visitors can now enter Rubens’s home again in the way he intended: with a spectacular view of the portico and garden pavilion. He designed both features himself, making them rare evidence of Rubens as an architect. The garden pavilion and the portico in the style of a triumphal arch at the Rubens House in Antwerp were designed entirely by Peter Paul Rubens himself and are among the few traces anywhere in the world of the master as an architect. Following his return from Italy in 1608, Rubens introduced Antwerp to his fascination for classical and contemporary Italian architecture. He and his first wife Isabella Brant purchased a building and the accompanying land on the Wapper in Antwerp in 1610 and converted it into a self-designed Italian palazetto complete with semi-circular sculpture gallery, studio and a beautiful garden. Rubens only put his architectural ideas into practice once, but in doing so, he revealed a thorough knowledge of the subject. The improvements lent his home the air of an Italian palazzo and embodied Rubens’s artistic ideals: the art of Roman Antiquity and the Italian Renaissance.

The Rubens House is showing two unique loaned works this autumn: The Massacre of the Innocents, an early masterpiece by Rubens (1577&ndash;1640) and the most expensive Rubens ever, will be on temporary display at the museum from 26 September. An outstanding early work by Rubens&rsquo; most talented pupil, Anthony van Dyck (1599&ndash;1641), will also be on show. The Head of the Apostle Matthew has been provided on permanent loan by the King Baudouin Foundation &ndash; the only composition from the famous B&ouml;hler series displayed in a Belgian public collection. As part of the second series of exhibitions marking the city cultural festival &lsquo;Antwerp Baroque 2018: Rubens inspires&rsquo;, the Rubens House is unveiling two unique loans. The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is lending the museum The Massacre of the Innocents, a tumultuous composition full of drama and violence, in which the young Rubens presents his credentials as an accomplished pictor doctus. The Rubens House is also showing an early masterpiece by...

Rubens House shows Massacre of the Innocents and Head of the Apostle Matthew, two masterpieces by the young Rubens and Van Dyck, as part of Antwerp Baroque 2018

The Rubens House is showing two unique loaned works this autumn: The Massacre of the Innocents, an early masterpiece by Rubens (1577–1640) and the most expensive Rubens ever, will be on temporary display at the museum from 26 September. An outstanding early work by Rubens’ most talented pupil, Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641), will also be on show. The Head of the Apostle Matthew has been provided on permanent loan by the King Baudouin Foundation – the only composition from the famous Böhler series displayed in a Belgian public collection. As part of the second series of exhibitions marking the city cultural festival ‘Antwerp Baroque 2018: Rubens inspires’, the Rubens House is unveiling two unique loans. The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is lending the museum The Massacre of the Innocents, a tumultuous composition full of drama and violence, in which the young Rubens presents his credentials as an accomplished pictor doctus. The Rubens House is also showing an early masterpiece by Anthony van Dyck, who painted a Rubens-influenced Apostle cycle, known as the Böhler series, which is now dispersed all over the world. The King Baudouin Foundation recently acquired the painting of St Matthew from this series through a bequest and funded its restoration at the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA) in Brussels, where it underwent a revolutionary conservation treatment. The Foundation has now placed the work on permanent loan with the Rubens House, where it will be the only composition from the celebrated Böhler series on display in a Belgian public collection.

Peter Paul Rubens will be the host this year of the cultural city festival &lsquo;Antwerp Baroque 2018: Rubens Inspires&rsquo;. The starting point for the festivities is the Rubens House, which is marking the occasion by showcasing new masterpieces and hidden secrets. The collection will be enriched with masterpieces by several of Rubens&rsquo;s most talented pupils and contemporaries, plus outstanding works by the master himself, which are returning for the first time to the place where they were painted. Rubens&rsquo;s secrets will be revealed through the restoration of his self-portrait and of the portico and garden pavilion. Work on the two latter structures is still in full swing, which means the imposing portico, the focal point of the Rubens House, can&rsquo;t be viewed in its entirety. But visitors to &lsquo;Antwerp Baroque 2018&rsquo; will have a one-off opportunity to climb the scaffolding and view the restoration work at first hand. Not only do the tours, site visits and various digital applications highlight...

The Rubens House - Rubens' Return

Peter Paul Rubens will be the host this year of the cultural city festival ‘Antwerp Baroque 2018: Rubens Inspires’. The starting point for the festivities is the Rubens House, which is marking the occasion by showcasing new masterpieces and hidden secrets. The collection will be enriched with masterpieces by several of Rubens’s most talented pupils and contemporaries, plus outstanding works by the master himself, which are returning for the first time to the place where they were painted. Rubens’s secrets will be revealed through the restoration of his self-portrait and of the portico and garden pavilion. Work on the two latter structures is still in full swing, which means the imposing portico, the focal point of the Rubens House, can’t be viewed in its entirety. But visitors to ‘Antwerp Baroque 2018’ will have a one-off opportunity to climb the scaffolding and view the restoration work at first hand. Not only do the tours, site visits and various digital applications highlight the skill and expertise of the restorers, this is the closest you will ever be able to get to the architecture of Peter Paul Rubens. Meanwhile, the Rubens House will be the guest of MAS, where it is staging the exhibition ‘Michaelina: Baroque’s Leading Lady’.

Rubens&rsquo;s restored Self-Portrait is back in the Rubens House in Antwerp after an absence of more than a year. Rubens returns our gaze, with a blush on his cheeks and sensuous red lips. For many centuries, these details were concealed by multiple layers of paint. But today Rubens looks remarkably refreshed again. After the layers were peeled back to reveal the original paint layers, the panel divulged many new details. Now Antwerp is really ready for the cultural city festival &lsquo;Antwerp Baroque 2018. Rubens inspires&rsquo;, which Rubens is graciously hosting.

Rubens House welcomes restored Self-Portrait and gets ready for “Antwerp Baroque 2018. Rubens inspires”

Rubens’s restored Self-Portrait is back in the Rubens House in Antwerp after an absence of more than a year. Rubens returns our gaze, with a blush on his cheeks and sensuous red lips. For many centuries, these details were concealed by multiple layers of paint. But today Rubens looks remarkably refreshed again. After the layers were peeled back to reveal the original paint layers, the panel divulged many new details. Now Antwerp is really ready for the cultural city festival ‘Antwerp Baroque 2018. Rubens inspires’, which Rubens is graciously hosting.