Antwerp is not the only city in the world to feature Rubens. He was a great Flemish master who left behind no fewer than 10,000 works, paintings, tapestries, illustrations, drawings, etc. He was a complete artist of many talents. Today, we can say that the life of this legendary painter resembles a historical novel. Born in Germany in 1577, his parents, originally from Antwerp, fled the city because of religious and political unrest. It was only after the death of his father that the family found their way back to the port city. The young Rubens dreamed of training in the arts, but after a short period of study he was forced to stop for lack of funds. However, thanks to his mother, Rubens was able to benefit from artistic training. At the age of 23, he left for Italy to live and work. He became a painter at the court of the Duke of Mantua, discovering art, Venice, Rome and inspiration.
