2012 The

Rubenianum Quarterly 2

The birthplace of Rubens Rubens and beyond Carl Van de Velde It would be as idiotic to deny that Rubens, When and where was Rubens born? Van Dyck and Jordaens are the dominating The question is in itself not very important, masters of seventeenth-century Flemish art as it but as long as it remains unanswered, it would be to deny that numerous other artists of can give rise to misunderstandings among considerable talent were active in their time who the general public, which has always been are worthy of our admiration. The Rubenianum interested in trivial questions. Therefore, plays a fundamental part in the research on the Centrum Rubenianum has reconsidered the available sources. This article presents the greatest names in Flemish art, but it is also an overview of the arguments. Detailed central to the study of artists who may be less results will be published shortly. famous, but whose contributions to Flemish In the caption to an etching showing art helped define its course. It is they who made Rubens’s portrait that was published our sixteenth and seventeenth centuries a true in in 1649 by Jan Meyssens Golden Age: not a period in which artistic (1612–1670), he is said to have been born excellence was the domain of a few exceptional in Antwerp on the 28th of June 1577. personalities, but an age in which it seems to The likeness is based upon Paul Pontius’s engraving of 1630, but shows the artist have flourished like never before. In my own field of speciality, works on paper, J. Meyssens, , etching without hat. The print is part of a series of 100 numbers, entitled Images de divers the facilities of the Rubenianum may be even hommes d’esprit sublime. The etchings owe their notoriety no doubt to the fact that more important than in the more completely they were reproduced, with their captions, in Cornelis de Bie’s Gulden Cabinet van researched field of painting. If gifted artists de Edel-Vry Schilderconst (Antwerp 1661), a collection of lives of mostly Flemish like Jan Cossiers, Cornelis Schut or Lodewijk artists. We do not know where Meyssens collected this information. He cannot de Vadder are by now reasonably well defined have taken it from an official record. Births and deaths were not registered in as painters in the art-historical literature, as Western Europe until after the French Revolution. Churches kept registers of draughtsmen they are still harder to grasp. baptisms, marriages and funerals, but the name of Rubens has not been found in any such records in the different cities that claim to have been his birthplace. A trip (in my case, unfortunately, a transatlantic Meyssens presumably just picked up this date in Antwerp. Having arrived there one) to the Rubenianum is always a sure way to in 1640 only, he cannot have known Rubens personally, but he was certainly well gain an insight, however fragmented, into the acquainted with his artistic surroundings. graphic style of such artists. A similar solution was proposed in the Vita Petri Pauli Rubenij that was written This may seem irrelevant to all but the between 1668 and 1676 by the artist’s nephew the Younger. He also smallest circle of experts. But it is research of indicated 1577 as the year of Rubens’s birth, not in Antwerp however but in this kind which enables scholars to sharpen, Cologne. The Latin text of the Vita was not printed until 1837, but its contents have refocus and renew their vision of Flemish art, been known from the late seventeenth century onwards through Roger de Piles’ and which informs courses and seminars at Vie de Rubens (Paris 1677), of which the Vita is the main source. De Piles repeated that Rubens was born in Cologne in 1577. The result was that all later authors universities, and programmes and acquisitions have agreed on 1577, but situated Rubens’s birth either in Antwerp or in Cologne, at museums worldwide. It is this research depending on whether the author followed De Bie or De Piles. It is important to that helps collectors and art dealers to better note that Meyssens and Philip Rubens are independent sources. The fact that they understand what is in their possession. And it disagree on the city of birth is proof enough of that. is thanks to this research that the interest in These opinions were seriously challenged in 1853, when R.C. Bakhuizen van den Flemish art can be kept alive among a broad Brink revealed that , the father of the artist, had passed several years in and international public. captivity in Germany. Charged with an adulterous relation with Anna of Saxony, William the Silent’s wife, he had at first been held prisoner at Dillenburg. His wife Maria Pijpelinckx succeeded, by paying a large sum of ransom money, in obtaining Stijn Alsteens a softening of regime, allowing the couple to live in a fixed residence in Siegen from Curator, Department of Drawings and Prints 1573 to 1578. [Continued on page 3] The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Corpus Rubenianum The birthplace of Rubens [Continued from page 1]

Jan Rubens was then permitted to return birth (28 June 1577) and death (30 May Philip Rubens’s Vita Petri Pauli Rubenij, Lieneke Nijkamp in the spotlight (yet to be developed) website interface. For to Cologne, where they had lived in the first 1640) led to the conclusion that the artist relates a lot of episodes from his uncle’s life me personally it has also been interesting to years of their emigration from Antwerp. was not sixty-four but sixty-three years old and career and none of these has proved to In 2011 the City of Antwerp recruited two young and brilliant art historians for the compare working methods between the RKD Maria Pijpelinckx and her children settled when he died. Besides, was Gevartius rightly be unreliable. It is true that he voices the documentation and photo library of the Rubenianum: Lieneke Nijkamp and Bert Watteeuw. and the Rubenianum, as in general it has also back in Antwerp after Jan Rubens had died informed about his friend’s birthday? They family point of view of the past, in which Their tasks are so diverse and numerous that it is worthwhile to allot each of them a whole been fascinating for me as being Dutch to live in 1588. The conclusion was evident. If Peter only got to know each other later in life. Jan Rubens is represented as having lived page in our Quarterly. First we go international and give the floor to the Dutch-born Lieneke and work in Belgium. To name just one small Paul Rubens was born in 1577, it could only The supporters of Antwerp did not pay peacefully in Cologne ever since he had left Nijkamp, who is meanwhile well acquainted with the Belgian way of life, Flemish culture and example, I had never realized that I would have have been in Siegen. much attention to these considerations. Antwerp. The episode of the adultery, the the peculiar Antwerp vocabulary. to accustom myself to a whole new vocabulary Neither Cologne nor Antwerp were willing They concentrated on trying to prove that, imprisonment and the arrest in Siegen were on documentation. Trivial words such as ‘file’ to abandon their claims. Research was done while it was undeniable that Jan Rubens left in the dark. This had been the family’s My first serious encounter with Flemish and ‘archive shelving’ are completely different, in the archives of Antwerp, Cologne and was not permitted to leave Siegen, his wife attitude ever since Maria Pijpelinckx had Baroque art happened six years ago, when as is also the pronunciation of Rubens and Siegen and revealed a number of interesting Maria Pijpelinckx had had the opportunity returned to Antwerp, not only because it I was allowed to assist Gregory Martin Jordaens. This has of course led to funny documents. Cologne was defended by the to travel to Antwerp long enough to give was not exactly the most glorious page of the with his catalogue of Flemish Art of the miscommunications between me and my local archivist L. Ennen, but has proved birth there to her baby. Recently, J. Rombaut family history, but also for two compelling Rijksmuseum Amsterdam during my colleagues. However, one of my colleagues at afterwards not to have strong arguments. and R. Tijs have revived this theory, but in reasons. The first is that the princes of curatorial internship at the museum. Now, the RKD recently pointed out to me on the Antwerp could count upon several supporters a slightly different form, since they claim Orange had throughout the affair insisted several years later, I find myself at the heart of phone that I wasn’t even aware any more that Flemish art again, as research assistant at the I was using a Flemish expression; I guess my (du Mortier, Génard and Van den Branden). that Rubens was born in the later months of that every suspicion of scandal should be Antwerp-based Rubenianum. assimilation has almost been completed! They concentrated on the city of birth, 1576. Both the nineteenth-century theory avoided. Even after Jan Rubens was granted much less on the date, which was only and that of Rombaut and Tijs rely in part liberty to leave Siegen, it was absolutely Together with my colleague Bert Watteeuw Another project I embarked on, was instigated marginally challenged. Bakhuizen van den upon the same arguments, which makes it forbidden for him to set foot in the Low I am responsible for the documentation. This, by the many boxes of photographs that Brink’s documents had made clear that Maria unnecessary to deal with the old arguments Countries. Second, by maintaining that of course, is a very broad job description that I stumbled upon during my first months of Pijpelinckx was certainly in Siegen on 14 June here again. This was done efficiently by Jan Rubens had lived an undisturbed life in asks for specification. But let me first start by exploring every hidden corner of our building. 1577, and this forced Génard to advance, Max Rooses in 1903. In his authoritative Cologne, it allowed the family to retain the introducing our hybrid collection. As with As the Rubenianum had been understaffed for without any further evidence, the birth to monograph on Rubens, having evaluated status it had enjoyed in Antwerp previously. the library, our core documentation consists many years, images on art had been assembled May 1577. all the arguments brought forward by This observation is important in that it of all the information Ludwig Burchard but never reached our documentation. Soon Two documents discovered in the Antwerp the different camps, he concluded that helps to refute an allegation made in the gathered before bequeathing it to the city of the realization dawned that this was a task archives contain information about Rubens’s Peter Paul Rubens was born in Siegen on nineteenth century, most forcefully by Van Antwerp. His extensive documentation on we could not handle alone. By publishing an age at different moments in his life. His mother 28 June 1577. den Branden, that by leaving Antwerp in the Rubens has since then served as the basis for advertisement in a local newspaper, I was declared on 10 December 1596 in a request to This conclusion can be supported 1560s, Jan Rubens had forfeited his rights of research for the Corpus Rubenianum Ludwig able to form a team of dedicated volunteers the Antwerp magistrates that she had two sons today. Looking at the whole of Meyssens’s citizenship of Antwerp and that his children Burchard, and is therefore separately stored. who assist us by gradually mounting the for which she had to act as custodian, because series of prints, we realize that he was very had to regain them. Peter Paul Rubens, Our documentation on other artists is also photographs and adding the right description. they were still under age: Philip, she said, much concerned about the truthfulness of according to this theory, could only have built upon the Burchard documentation, Not a day in the week goes by without was twenty-two, the youngest, Peter, twenty the information provided in his captions. enjoyed Antwerp citizenship by having been although we no longer actively document progress as we have volunteers working on years old. The birth date of Philip, according He usually sticks to years of birth and born there. The invalidity of that theory Spanish, German, Italian or Dutch art as the documentation every day. On this occasion to his biography of 1615, was 27 April 1574, so death and only gives precise days in a very is proved by the case of his brother Philip. we restrict our focus to sixteenth- and I would like to thank Gaston, Ria, Carrie, he was indeed twenty-two years old in 1596. limited number of cases, seven out of one Neither Philip’s status of fully authorized seventeenth-century Flemish art. Besides although we are rarely able to make new Ann and Marc for their incredible patience We cannot be sure that she made an exact hundred: Rubens (28 June 1577), Van Dyck inhabitant of Brabant nor his citizenship of the boxes of our so-called ‘reading-room attributions, it is always satisfying to be and diligent effort! Together with art history Antwerp had been hampered by the fact that documentation’ we also hold several archives able to assist in someone’s professional or students we hope to integrate these images calculation of the age of his younger brother, (22 March 1599), Jordaens (19 May 1594), on Flemish art that formerly belonged to such personal research. Enquiries can range from into our documentation this summer. for all that mattered was that they both were Erasmus Quellinus (19 November 1607), he had been born in Cologne, as his father eminent scholars and art experts as R.-A. conducting provenance research for museum less than twenty-five years old. The second Hendrik de Keizer (15 May 1565), Jacob had lived there peacefully and continuously d’Hulst, Marie-Louise Hairs and Pierre de objects, to pointing out interesting literature Other parts of my job range from presenting and statement comes from the artist himself. He Matham (15 October 1571) and Pieter de Jode ever since he had left Antwerp until his Séjournet. Parts of these archives have been on a subject depicted in a privately owned discussing documentation issues at conferences, gives himself as forty-one years of age on (22 November 1606). Whenever his dates death. This was confirmed by the States of or will be integrated into our documentation. painting. guiding upcoming and already established art 28 August 1618. This is perfectly compatible can be checked (e.g. for Van Dyck, Jordaens, Brabant in 1607, and again by the Archdukes In the end, anyone researching a specific historians through our holdings, and assisting with the birth date given by Meyssens. Quellinus) they are correct. The only Albert and Isabella in 1609. This official work of art will be able to find a variety of One of my first big assignments at the during lectures held at the Kolveniershof. During Finally there is Rubens’s epitaph, mistake that can be found in his captions recognition was needed to allow Philip different documents brought together in our Rubenianum was to brainstorm on our digital my studies at university I was primarily trained composed by his friend Gaspar Gevartius is that Jordaens was not born in 1594 but Rubens to assume the charge of secretary documentation per artist, and in some cases future. As my previous employer had been at art museums such as the Rijksmuseum shortly after the artist’s death. It confirms in 1593. Since the day of his baptism was to the city of Antwerp, more precisely even per object: photographs, handwritten the Netherlands Institute for Art History Amsterdam, the National Gallery of Art in that Rubens was sixty-four years old when indeed the 19th of May, we may attribute to prevent anybody from challenging his notes by several scholars, and excerpts taken (RKD) in The Hague, I was already familiar Washington DC and the J. Paul Getty Museum he died. The text was only carved into a this to a misprint. We must conclude, with nomination. Peter Paul did not need such from auction catalogues, periodicals, books with databases designed for documenting in Los Angeles. Working at a documentation tombstone in Rubens’s funeral chapel in Saint Rooses, that Meyssens is a reliable witness. explicit confirmation to be recognized as an and newspapers. My job is to keep all of art. At this moment, a pilot on cooperating centre, however, does not differ that much James in Antwerp, in 1755. Before that date, He may have been wrong, as he is with Antwerp citizen. Who would have denied this organized, safeguarded and up-to-date; with the RKDImages database has been at all. Instead of works of art, our collection there was no such inscription there. In fact, regard to the city where Rubens was born, him that right when he claimed it? an almost impossible job, but challengingly evaluated positively, and in the near future consists of documents and photographs on art. the 1755 carving was copied from de Piles’s but there is no reason to imagine that he The supporters of the theory that Rubens satisfying at the same time. we will be able to document digital-born But a major difference compared to working Vie de Rubens. De Piles knew the epitaph would have deliberately told something was born in Antwerp had to prove that his images in a customized database, as well as at a museum, is that the Rubenianum serves because it had been added by Philip Rubens which he did not think was the truth. mother could have been in Antwerp at the During my first month at the Rubenianum digitize important parts of our collection as a global hub for research on Flemish art. We to his Vita before he sent it to him. Until The second seventeenth-century source, right time to give birth to Peter Paul. For I focused on clearing out and updating our for better accessibility. Important reasons are not restricted to a confined collection, but then, it was probably only a sheet among documentation on . Luckily for cooperating with the RKD are being instead we document every Flemish work of the papers left by , the pupil I am able to ask for assistance from our in- able to build on one centralized database Baroque art. The Rubenianum is therefore a house scholars and affiliated experts like and to divide the workload of documenting very inspiring institution that brings together of Gevartius, indicated by Philip Rubens as Nora De Poorter and Hans Vlieghe. Many Flemish art. My colleagues, of course, tend universities, museums, art dealers and other art the source from which he had composed his museums, art dealers, individual researchers to suspect me of being a Dutch spy still history professionals. I feel very privileged to Vita. It is all but certain that no mistake was and art lovers write to us every week with working for the RKD, but the Rubenianum be part of this and of our dedicated team, and made, e.g. in copying lxiiii for lxiii. In his own questions related to Flemish art. This specific will be able to differentiate itself from to be allowed to set out the future policy of a poem on Rubens in the Gulden Cabinet, De part of my job is one of my favourites. Every the RKD by presenting more specialized documentation that has proven to be of major Bie has correctly calculated that the dates enquiry asks for research and diplomacy, and information on works of art through our own importance. given in Meyssens’s caption for Rubens’s

2 3 Génard, she had to be in Antwerp in May and Tijs suggest that Maria Pijpelinckx mercy, quoting arguments from the Bible, 1577, while Rombaut and Tijs want to see her brought this document to Antwerp and used from ancient history and literature, but also Rubeniana there in the last months of 1576. The physical it to claim her part of the inheritance, but from the miserable life of the defendant, to presence of Maria Pijpelinckx in Siegen is this is contradicted by the observation that be granted permission to return to freedom attested in February, April and June 1577 in the final partition of 6 August 1576, the in his homeland, or at least closer to it. The and, as a document newly brought into the stake originally intended for Jan Rubens was request insists that Jan Rubens has passed Introducing our new feature: ‘Authors in residence’ discussion proves, in the last months of 1576. not allotted to him but to the children of his five years in detention, twenty-six months Not a single document mentions her as being wife, and that they were represented by their of incarceration and thirty-four months in a Our Quarterly is very much alive and thus new columns are added. Corpus authors are in Antwerp during that period. grandfather Hendrik Pijpelinckx. If Maria had milder regime. This points to a date of spring the next victims: whenever they show up at the Rubenianum for research on their volume, Her supposed travel to Antwerp between been present and considered a valid curator 1576, which curiously coincides with the time they will be harassed from all sides to write down their impressions, encounters, adventures, September and December 1576 is said to for her children, why would she not have been when Jan Rubens must have been informed conversations etc. and share these with our readers. Our first catch is Prof. Reinhold Baumstark, have been necessitated by the partition of mentioned, as were all the other members of the death of his stepfather. Writing the text former Keeper of the famous Liechtenstein Collection in Schloss Vaduz and former General the inheritance of Jan Rubens’s stepfather of the family that were partners? Moreover, will probably have taken several months. The Director of the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen in Munich. Jan de Lantmeter, the second husband of his in April 1577, Jan Rubens had to make a new request was presented to William of Orange mother, already a widower with a child. In procuration, in Cologne this time, appointing in January 1577. This suggests that it was only his will, dated 5 July 1566, he had divided his a team consisting of Maria Pijpelinckx, her finished shortly before. Several passages are ‘A Room with a View’ that draws the eyes concretizes the work belongings among their five children. The date father and her uncle and Jan’s brother Philip interesting with regard to our problem. We sphere, crystallizes it into a lieu de mémoire. For a scholar in seventeenth-century Flemish Thus the Centrum Rubenianum, besides all its of this testament, wrongly given by Rombaut de Lantmeter, as curators over his belongings notice in particular the quote where Maria painting, the invitation to contribute a wonderful working facilities, offers a further and Tijs, is important, for it shows that Jan and those of his children. So, to cut a long Pijpelinckx implores mercy for her husband, volume to the Corpus Rubenianum Ludwig jewel: a study room with a Rubens view. Rubens knew about its existence. When he argument short, there is no reason to suppose for herself and especially for her five unhappy Burchard probably will be his most exciting Reinhold Baumstark was informed, in the first months of 1576, of that Maria Pijpelinckx travelled to Antwerp children (cum quinque parvis aeque infoelicibus challenge, offering the chance to enter the his stepfather’s death, he immediately reacted in 1576. liberis). Even if we assume that the document royal path of Rubens research. Naturally one by signing, on 31 May 1576, a debt recognition An additional argument corroborating could have been finished some time before it pursues one’s studies wherever excellent Reinhold Baumstark to his wife for the ransom money she had paid the view that she did not leave Siegen in was presented to the prince, or that parts of libraries present the opportunity to explore Monkey Madness for him, by giving her complete mastery over that year can be found in the text of a long it were written earlier, it still is an argument the vast amount of past research or wherever in Seventeenth-Century Antwerp all his possessions and making her curator request (twenty folios recto and verso) in in favour of dating the birth of Peter Paul Rubens’s work can be studied in the original of their children. By doing so, he reassured Latin presented to William of Orange in Rubens, the sixth child of Maria Pijpelinckx, in museums and collections. However, we The Rubenianum Lectures Comical scenes with monkeys in human the creditors from whom she had borrowed January 1577. The document, preserved in later than the request, that is in 1577. are in the fortunate possession of a centre attire are part of a pictorial genre that was that embraces all Rubens knowledge, indeed We proudly present a Rubenianum lecture the money, in all probability the Pijpelinckx the Koninklijk Huisarchief in The Hague, was There is consequently no reason to doubt fully developed in seventeenth-century constitutes the focus of Rubens research: the by our Centrum Rubenianum colleague family, that they would be reimbursed. The described by Bakhuizen van den Brink in 1853, the conclusion reached by Max Rooses in Flemish painting, and which was practised by Centrum Rubenianum in Antwerp. Here one next day, Maria Pijpelinckx signed a document but since he did not give a transcription, it has 1903: Peter Paul Rubens was born in Siegen a selection of Antwerp masters in particular. BERT SCHEPERS finds an excellent library and photo collection to cancel her husband’s obligation if she died passed unnoticed since then. Although signed on the 28th of June 1577. Around 1575, the engraver Peeter van der Monkey Madness in Seventeenth-Century Antwerp. but especially the archive of the late Ludwig before him, a standard legal operation which by Maria Pijpelinckx (as Maria uxor Joannis Borcht introduced it as a theme in its own right Genesis and dissemination of a pictorial genre Burchard, the eminent Rubens scholar, does not need any specific explanation. Both Rubenij), it must have been for the largest part The author wishes to thank C. Eymael, C. van Havre, in a composite series of widely disseminated with its thousands of references arranged in 23 September 2012, 11 am documents were signed in Siegen. Rombaut the work of Jan Rubens himself. It is a plea for J. De Landtsheer and P. Valkeneers for their precious help. prints, which are strongly embedded in the orderly fashion in boxes and his annotations artistic heritage of . Bert Schepers, editorial and research assistant penned in the volumes of his personal Thereafter, highly inventive painters such for the Corpus Rubenianum, will share his library. To be able to delve into the Burchard as Frans Francken II, both Jan I and Jan II vast knowledge on the genre of singeries material, to consult his notes, comparing Brueghel, Sebastiaen Vrancx, Jan van Kessel I, with our audience. For many years he has them with one’s own knowledge, not only and above all David Teniers II, took up the been conducting his PhD research on the Rubenianum Team Building enriches one’s work but inspires it. brush and assured the continuing popularity in Amsterdam When the Rubens scholar comes to particularly Flemish and highly amusing of monkey satire (in French called singerie). Antwerp for several days in order to work in pictures of monkeys in human attire. Don’t The organizations working together at the Teniers developed, at an early age, into the the Centrum, he or she is welcomed into a miss this unique preview! Rubenianum have recently grown significantly, standard-bearer of the genre. Together with his world of extraordinary privilege: cared for by thanks to the efforts of the Rubenianum Fund younger brother Abraham Teniers, he was able The Rubenianum Lectures are organized with the omnipresent, always helpful assistants and to a spectacular increase in the number to play the art market like no other, and in so the support of the Inbev-Baillet Latour Fund. Marieke, Prisca and Bert, supported by of volunteers. All thirty-five people working doing triggered the dissemination of monkey Véronique and Viviane, superbly informed satire far beyond the borders. Later in the at Kolveniersstraat 20 have different tasks of the Centrum’s working facilities, inspired seventeenth century other artists like Nicolaes and working schedules, so it can’t be said that and enriched by conversations with Arnout van Veerendael – who from early on in his all of us – old hands and newcomers alike – whose knowledge, energy and enthusiasm career specialized in painting flower still lifes know what our co-workers’ roles are within are inexhaustible, and with the Centrum’s – jumped on the bandwagon of the ‘monkey our various organizations. This was reason ‘Altmeister’ Carl who brought Ludwig painters’. enough to organize a day of team building. Our Burchard’s bequest from London to Antwerp Despite its apparent success at the time destination was soon chosen, for what could be as Aeneas had carried the palladium from and the vast amount of works still extant, no more suitable than paying a visit to the trio that Troy to the future Rome. However, even this serious attempt has been made so far to bring stands at the very core of our work: Rubens, We probably had to rack our brains the steered us deftly through the city centre, wealth of support and inspiration is further together the rich and diverse material in an in- Van Dyck and Jordaens? So off we went to most about the photos of our colleagues as taking us after lunch to the Willet-Holthuysen heightened. Once the Rubens scholar takes depth study. In the forthcoming Rubenianum his seat at the work table, the treasure of the Amsterdam, where the eponymous exhibition toddlers, which we were supposed to identify Museum on the Herengracht for a guided Lecture these often-hidden treasures will be Burchard archive behind him, Burchard’s and in the Hermitage was nearing its end. – a sometimes hilarious undertaking. tour and on to café Nel on Amstelveld for a brought to public attention in their full scope his own notes, photographs and books on On 31 May, therefore, twenty-five of us Thanks to a merciful lack of traffic jams, final drink, with the whole group in the best for the first time. The speaker will first sketch the table before him, his view falls through boarded a bus early in the morning and we soon arrived in Amsterdam, where of spirits. the origins and artistic development of the the window onto an unforgettable panorama: headed for Holland. We made good use of we received a warm welcome from our Our excursion to Amsterdam was genre, hereby introducing the various players before him stretches the garden of Rubens’s our travelling time, conversing over a nice Hermitage colleagues. No fewer than eight of extremely worthwhile, both as a museum and outlining their individual stylistic input. home – at the right the living quarters, at the breakfast and filling in a questionnaire about our Rubenianum co-workers took turns acting visit and, of course, in terms of team building. In the second part the richness in subject- left the studio, the place of origin of most internal communication. The atmosphere as guides, sharing their knowledge about their Many colleagues got to know one another matter will be further explored, addressing of the master’s output. Among the first really began to mellow when two quizmasters favourite paintings and giving it a personal better, and that is indispensable to the smooth questions of meaning and suggesting means works created there are the paintings of the from the divided us into ten slant. For many of us the available time proved running of any organization. of interpretation, drawing on a wide variety of Decius Mus cycle that constitute my part of teams and grilled us about Rubens, our too short to take in all the treasures on display. visual and textual sources. the Corpus Rubenianum: a more felicitous various institutions and … each other. Amsterdam expert Lieneke Nijkamp then Véronique Van de Kerckhof David Teniers the Younger, The Monkey Painter (detail) inspiration is hardly imaginable. The place Bert Schepers © , Museo Nacional del Prado

4 5 Corpus Rubenianum Ludwig Burchard

PA TRon

H S H Prince Hans-Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein

Rubenianum Fund board Thomas Leysen (Chairman), Dominique Allard, Arnout Balis, Michel Ceuterick, Gregory Martin, Ben van Beneden

BENET FAC ORS Fonds InBev-Baillet Latour Fonds Courtin-Bouché Demergon Foundation

allaert-d’hulst family Bob Haboldt Thomas and Nancy Leysen annette bühler Jules-André Hayen Otto Naumann michel Ceuterick Steven Heinz Natan Saban herman de bode Baroness Paul Janssen Johnny Van Haeften georges de Jonckheere David Koetser Eric Verbeeck antoine Friling David Kowitz Juan Miguel Villar Mir Mark Weiss

DONORS ingrid Ceusters Jacqueline Gillion Pierre Macharis Jean-marie de Coster Dov Gottesman Patrick Maselis baron bertrand de giey Stéphane Holvoet Baron Jean-Albert Moorkens Joseph de gruyter Baron Daniel Janssen Philip Mould Jan de maere Baron Paul-Emmanuel Janssen Cliff Schorer michel demoortel Jean-Louis and Martine Juliard-Reynaers Léon Seynaeve elisabeth de rothschild Gijs Keij Eric Turquin François de Visscher Eric Le Jeune Rafael Valls eric dorhout mees Christian Levett Philippe Van de Vyvere Count ghislain d’ursel Christian and Brigitte Leysen Matthew Weatherbie Anne-Marie Logan Morris Zukerman

C OrporaTE BENEFACTORS Sotheby’s Telenet NV

Lazard Frères Groupe Bruxelles Lambert SA KBC Group NV Christie’s Dorotheum Crop’s NV Lhoist SA Noortman Master Paintings Rosy Blue NV Pierre Bergé & Associés Sibelco – SCR NV BelfiusB ank The Michael Marks Charitable Trust

and a number of benefactors and donors who wish to remain anonymous

V.U.: Thomas Leysen Centrum RUBENIANUM With thanks to Anagram, Ghent