in detail
PAINTINGS
The museum has a consistent and cohesive collection of paintings, giving the visitor insight into Rubens’ life, work, the age he lived in and his sources of inspiration.
Rubens’ own work
The Rubens House displays many works by the master himself. It is interesting how the various stages of his productive life are represented, for example by preliminary studies, an unfinished painting, portraits, original masterpieces and copies.
RUBENS' ENVIRONMENT
The museum collection also includes works of important contemporaries, tutors, employees and assistants of Rubens.
ART AND EVERYDAY IMPLEMENTS
After the death of Rubens, the contents of the house quickly disappeared.
This makes it impossible to purchase items about which it can be said with certainty that they were a part of Rubens’s personal effects. The furniture and utensils that are on display are, however, authentic objects from Rubens’s time. He would undoubtedly have recognised most of them.
Archive research has shown that a number of items on show in the museum, such as busts, small sculptures, a tazza and a silver jug, formed part of Rubens’ art collection. In his time this was the biggest in the Low Countries.
HOUSE AND GARDEN
The Rubens House is more than an art collection brought under the roof of a house. The architecture and the renaissance garden are equally important parts of the museum experience.
