Large studio (10)
In this room, the biggest part of Rubens’ oeuvre came into being.
Rubens was the most famous painter of his time and he was swamped with commissions. In order to meet the considerable demand for his work, he was forced to operate a well-organised studio. Pupils, assistants and fellow artists helped him to produce more than 2,500 ‘Rubens paintings’. This was not an unusual situation during the 17th century. It wasn’t the final execution of the artwork that was important, but the design. The artist was able to leave the practical execution of it to his studio.
In this room
This work depicts the moment when the Virgin Mary is visited by the Archangel Gabriel with the joyous news that she will be the mother of the Messiah.
Very little is known about Rubens’ output between 1598, the year when he established himself as an independent artist, and his departure for Italy in 1600.
This canvas gives a good idea of how Rubens created his paintings on the basis of large, freehanded sketches.
In the world of seventeenth-century painting, it was very common for two or more artists to collaborate on a single work.
The latest acquisition of the museum shows a popular festival in honour of Saint Martin.
According to legend, Sebastian was an officer of the Praetorian guard in the time of the Roman emperor Diocletian (245-313).
Dogs wreaking havoc in a pantry was a favourite theme of Snijders. He portrayed the animals in the heat of the action: attacking the food with abandon, baring their teeth and growling threateningly at a rival.