The Rubens House or Rubenshuis in Antwerp has acquired a rare double-sided work by Peter Paul Rubens, featuring both a sketch and a handwritten letter from 1607. The document offers a unique glimpse into Rubens’ diplomatic role within the artistic networks of his time.
According to curator An Van Camp, the Rubens House secured the work with support from the King Baudouin Foundation. The sheet includes three rapid sketches of men in classical robes, likely studies for apostles, drawn with a quill and brown ink. Van Camp noted that the sketches showcase Rubens’ spontaneous and precise style, with experimental ink lines at the top, possibly from testing his quill before drawing.
The reverse side of the sheet reveals Rubens’ role as a mediator and confidant in the international art world. The letter, written in Italian and dated September 1607, was composed during his stay in Rome.
At the time, Rubens served as court painter for Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, and was also involved in negotiations with other artists. The letter is addressed to Italian painter Cristoforo Roncalli, known as Il Pomarancio.
In the letter, Rubens inquired about a painting Roncalli was creating for Eleonora de’ Medici, the duke’s wife and a prominent art collector and patron. Van Camp explained that Rubens asked whether the painting was finished and if he could inspect it, likely to ensure its quality met the duchess’s standards. There may also have been commercial motivations, as Rubens might have intended to negotiate the price if the work fell short of expectations.
The document sheds light on Rubens’ diplomatic activities within early seventeenth-century artistic circles. The Rubens House noted that surviving documents from his Italian period are particularly rare, despite their significance in shaping his artistic and diplomatic career.
The acquisition was not inexpensive. The work was offered by a British art dealer at the TEFAF Maastricht art fair, with an initial asking price of €145,000. However, the King Baudouin Foundation negotiated the price down to €110,000.
For the Rubens House, the acquisition represents a significant addition to its collection. Until now, the museum owned only two autograph drawings and ten letters by Rubens, all from later periods. The new sheet fills an important gap in the understanding of Rubens’ early career.
The purchase also returns a significant document to Belgium. Few of Rubens’ drawings remain in Belgian public collections. After the historic Rubens House reopens, no earlier than 2030, the work will occupy a prominent place in the renewed museum display. The museum also plans to highlight the role of female patrons, such as Eleonora de’ Medici, in Rubens’ oeuvre.
From today, the sheet will be displayed for three months in the Rubens Experience, the museum’s interactive exhibition space, which has been open to visitors since 2024.
After this period, the sheet will be turned over to display the letter side for the public. The Rubens House remains closed for extensive restoration until at least 2030, though the garden and a new reception building are set to reopen sooner.
Once the museum reopens, the work will be given a permanent place in the collection.
Art and museums in Antwerp
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- ANTWERP | ‘Martial Arts’: MAS exhibition explores the rich world of combat sports and martial traditions.
- REVIEW | ‘The Antwerp Six’ exhibition at the Antwerp fashion museum MoMu.
- ANTWERP | Museum Plantin-Moretus’ ‘Plantin’s Plants’ exhibition until 2 August 2026.
- FOMU 2026 | Carrie Mae Weems, Diane Severin Nguyen, Families, and Tenderly There by Tashattot.
- ANTWERP | M HKA opens new season with exhibition on censorship and artistic resistance.
- ANTWERP | Climb the Cathedral of Our Lady tower.
- ANTWERP | Rubens House appoints two design teams.
- ROYAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS ANTWERP | ‘The Fall of Alba’s Citadel. Image and Memory in Turbulent Times’, from 6 February to 17 May 2026.
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- Museums of the City of Antwerp look ahead to 2026.
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- ANTWERP | Graphics Museum De Reede ft. Francisco Goya, Edvard Munch, Félicien Rops and Albrecht Dürer.
- ANTWERP | Rubens Experience and Rubens Garden at Rubenshuis.
- ANTWERP | Innovations in the Middelheim Museum provide a completely new visitor experience.
- A visit of the Flemish Tram and Bus Museum – Vlaams Tram- en Autobusmuseum (VlaTAM) in Antwerp.
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- Antwerp museums and sports facilities team up with European Disability Card for accessible leisure activities.
- Museum Mayer van den Bergh.
- ANTWERP | Inside Rubens House.
- Museum Plantin-Moretus in Antwerp.
- ANTWERP | Museum Vleeshuis up for restoration.
- BOOK | ‘Antwerp. An Archaeological View on the Origin of the City’ by Tim Bellens.
- Red Star Line Museum.
- Paleis op de Meir.
- DIVA, Antwerp Home of Diamonds.
- ANTWERP | Red Star Line Museum of (e)migration.
