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This year, Antwerp is paying tribute to one of its most famous inhabitants: Peter Paul Rubens. His home in the heart of Antwerp is the starting point for those who want to immerse themselves in the world of the famous baroque painter from the 16th and 17th century.
You will never get closer to Rubens than in his own house. It is here that he led his studio and became the leading artist in Europe. It is at this place that he welcomed clients from around the world. This is where he assembled his own impressive art collection and received friends. This place is where he experienced his happiness and grief with his first and second wife and watched his children grow up. He also died here in 1640. In short, it is the ultimate place to see, experience and feel Rubens.
Rubens’ self-portrait of is one of the main eye-catchers and permanent feature of the Rubens House. Rubens made remarkably few self-portraits. He painted four - by comparison Rembrandt painted over forty. Rubens’ other three self-portraits are located in Firenze, Vienna and in the collection of the English queen. In this way, the masterpiece has an important iconic value for Antwerp.
January 2017 marked the restoration of the self-portrait. It was discovered that the varnish was highly complex and had to be removed minutely. The original paint layer was been exposed and the panel now reveals many details that were hidden for years. The painting will now return to the place where it belongs: the Rubens House.