Art · Politics · 1577–1640
Born: 28 June 1577 · Died: 30 May 1640 · Age at death: 62
Peter Paul Rubens died aged 62. He was born on 28 June 1577 and died on 30 May 1640.
Flemish Baroque painter of dramatic, colourful religious and mythological scenes who also worked as a royal diplomat
Did you know?He was knighted by the kings of both England and Spain for his work as an artist and a peace negotiator.
Rubens was the superstar of Baroque painting, producing huge, energetic canvases bursting with movement, colour and flesh. His workshop in Antwerp operated almost like a factory, with assistants helping him complete an enormous number of commissions for churches and royal courts. He was also a skilled diplomat, using his travels between royal courts to help negotiate peace between England and Spain. His ceiling paintings in the Banqueting House in London still dazzle visitors today. The term 'Rubenesque', describing a full, curvaceous figure, comes from the women in his paintings.
Sir Peter Paul Rubens ( ROO-bənz; Dutch:; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat. He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition.
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Profile
Flemish painter, born 1577
Peter Paul Rubens was born in Siegen on 28 June 1577.
He ran a large studio in Antwerp.
He painted The Elevation of the Cross.
He also worked as a diplomat.
Career highlights
Did you know?He was knighted by both Charles I of England and Philip IV of Spain.
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