Click here for the director’s introduction
The master portrays his family
Even though Rubens is said to have disliked painting portraits with a passion, he was one of best portraitists of his time.
His finest and most intimate portraits are undoubtedly those of his relatives: both his wives – Isabella who died young and beautiful Helena –, his children, along with his sisters and brothers in law. And of course, the master also indulged in self-portraits.
These works were not commissioned but were a labour of love and served as keepsakes. For the first time, these amazing works are exhibited together, and not least at a place where they belong: Rubens’ former home in Antwerp.
The exhibition is curated by international Rubens experts and includes some 50 paintings and drawings from top-ranking museums, including the Uffizi in Florence, the British Museum in London, the Musée du Louvre in Paris, the Hermitage in St Petersburg and the collections of the Prince of Liechtenstein, and the Royal Collection, generously loaned by her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
![Masterpiece [Re]discovery 2022. Photo: Ben Fisher Photography, courtesy of Masterpiece London](http://www.apollo-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/MPL2022_4263.jpg)
What happens when an artist wants to be anonymous?