in a portrait ruben s painted shortly after their wedding the couple holds hands and appears almost relaxed their gaze alert. the painting lacks the formality of the stiff portraits of men and women common at the time this is a young couple looking to the future with confidence and optimism. it was a time of fresh hope in antwerp thirty catholic spanish netherlands had agreed a ceasefire with the northern provinces the royal couple the archduchess isabella and archduke albert had heard of ruben success and asked him to enter their service as painter. ruben s agree. but
spanish netherlands. ruben s mother wanted him to pursue a career at court where he trained as a page. a day in the good food inc you know to me received the education of a young courts here which later proved to be an advantage of. a good king he knew how to interact with the aristocracy and the higher social classes it used to go. and that will prove very useful to him as an artist who to be needs to be back. in the late sixteenth century catholic and work was a flourishing center of international commerce despite the ongoing wars of religion ruben s always knew he wanted to be a painter he left courted fourteen to train as an apprentice at an aunt or parts studio boss i can please. explain this in fact was totally beneath his social standing of a woman. where he was
to store a museum. the passing of almost four hundred years has taken a toll on rubens surviving paintings. many have temporarily disappeared from public collections to undergo years of complex conservation today this canvas appears as fresh as it did when he added the final brush stroke. in his final years rubens withdrew from political life the spanish netherlands was still at war with the northern provinces. ruben s the open minded european no longer wish to get involved. now by divine grace i have regained my peace of mind. having renounced every sort of employment outside my blessid profession. destiny and i have become acquainted. i have cut through ambitions gold knots in order to reclaim my freedom.
in a portrait rubin s painted shortly after their wedding the couple holds hands and appears almost relaxed their gaze alert. the painting lacks the formality of the stiff portraits of men and women common at the time. this is a young couple looking to the future with confidence and optimism. it was a time of fresh hope in antwerp third catholic spanish netherlands had agreed a ceasefire with the northern provinces the royal couple the archduchess isabella and archduke albert had heard of ruben success and asked him to enter their service as court painter. ruben s agree but
ruben s left behind a unique legacy. he remains a giant of the art world who still draws millions of museum visitors with paintings that he executed for europe s kings nobility and both catholics and protestants. he s known as the homer of painting because so many of his works tell a story. today his most private images are on public display the subject of millions of snapshots. would ruben s a proof. for someone who devoted so much energy to diplomacy it seems safe to say that rubens would be pleased that his paintings are appreciated by an international audience.