RUB 
The day of his nativity was the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, 
and from thence he received, at the baptismal font, the name 
of these apostles. From his infancy he discovered prompt 
and lively talents, which were cultivated by his parents with 
great care, in every branch of polite and classical literature ; 
and he amply repaid their care by the high degree of suc¬ 
cess he attained. 
The views of his parents were otherwise directed than 
to the arts, and Rubens was placed, when bis education was 
completed, as a page to the countess of Lalain; a situa¬ 
tion too humble, and attended with occupation too trivial, 
to engage or detain long, in its obsequious frivolities, such a 
mind as he possessed: and on the death of his father, which 
happened soon after, he obtained permission of his mother 
to pursue the bent of his inclination, and became a painter. 
To forward this view, he placed himself as a disciple of 
Tobias Verhaecht, a landscape painter of some note, but 
soon left him, to study history painting under Adam Van 
Oort. As the vulgar and brutal deportment of that artist 
were little congenial to the elevated and gentle mind and dis¬ 
position of Rubens, be soon quitted him also, and then en¬ 
tered the school of Otho Venius, who possessed qualities, 
both as a man and an artist, far more suited to his taste, and 
he became attached to this his last preceptor, in the warmest 
and most respectful degree. 
When Rubens had attained his twenty-third year, Otho 
had the candour to tell him that he could no farther promote 
his progress; and advised him to travel to Italy, and gather 
the rich fruit of higher cultivation in art, at that rich store¬ 
house and fertile nursery of taste and talent. This wise and 
parental advice of his master corresponded so entirely with 
his own inclination, that he immediately prepared for the 
journey; and having received strong recommendatory letters 
from the archduke Albert, governor of the Netherlands, 
to Vincenzio Gonzaga, duke of Mantua, he set forth for 
Italy. 
Devoting a short time to the examination of the fine 
works at Venice, he proceeded to Mantua, where he received 
most marked attention from the duke, who was no less 
pleased with his polite accomplishments, than with his skill as 
an artist, and soon after appointed him one of the gentle¬ 
men of his chamber. His residence with this prince afforded 
him every desirable means of seeing and studying the great 
works of Giulio Romano, in the palace del Te, with whioh 
he is said to have been peculiarly delighted ; and he had con¬ 
tinued with him two years, when he requested permission to 
go to Venice, the empire of colouring, for the purpose of 
studying still farther the works of Titian and others, which 
had so much engaged his attention as he passed through that 
city. On his return to Mantua he evinced how much he 
had benefitted by studying the rich and brilliant productions 
of the Venetian school, in the three magnificent pictures 
he painted for the church of the Jesuits; which, in bra¬ 
vura of execution, and force of effect, rank nearly among 
his best productions. His patron afterwards gave him a 
commission, which afforded him the means of pursuing his 
studies at Rome, where he had not yet been, which was to 
make copies for him of some of the most celebrated pictures 
there, and he received it with gratitude and delight. Dur¬ 
ing his residence there, he executed several of these tran¬ 
scripts with uncommon success, and they were esteemed by 
the duke almost equal in value with the originals. 
In 1605, Rubens was honoured by his friend with another 
commission, which still further assisted to advance his know¬ 
ledge of the art, whilst it served the views of the prince. 
He was sent on an embassy from Mantua to the court of 
Spain, and went to Madrid, carrying with him magnificent 
presents for the duke of Lerma, the favourite of Philip III. 
He executed his mission with the success which attends abi¬ 
lity and integrity; and while intent upon the political part 
of his employment, did not neglect to employ his pictorial 
talents with full power, gaining the esteem and admira¬ 
tion of the king of Spain, whose portrait he painted, 
and from whom he received the most flattering marks of 
approbation. 
Yol. XXII. No. 1512. 
E N S. 4*21 
Soon after his return to Mantua, he revisited Rome* 
where he was engaged to adorn the tribune of Sta. Maria, 
in Valticella ; there he painted three admirable pictures, in 
which he appears to have imitated the style of P. Veronese. 
From Rome he went to Genoa, where the reputation he 
had acquired greatly excited public curiosity, and he was 
engaged to paint many pictures. Among them he executed 
two for the church of the Jesuits, the subjects of which were 
the Crucifixion, and St. Ignatius performing a miracle, which 
gave universal satisfaction and delight. 
Having been absent from his native country eight years, he 
was summoned home by the reported illness of his mother; 
but though he hastened with all speed, he did not reach An¬ 
twerp in time to afford his beloved parent the consolations 
of his presence and affections. The loss of her affected 
him deeply, and he intended, when he had arranged his pri¬ 
vate affairs, to go and reside in Italy ; but the archduke 
Albert, and the Infanta Isabella, exerted their interest to 
retain him in Flanders, and in their service. He conse¬ 
quently established himself at Antwerp, where he married 
his first wife, Elizabeth Brants, and built a magnificent 
house, with a saloon in form of a rotunda, which he enriched 
with antique statues, busts, vases, and pictures by the most 
celebrated painters: and here, surrounded by works of art; 
he carried into execution the numberless productions of his 
prolific and rich invention. 
The amazing success of Rubens in his art, and the 
honours and wealth which were accumulated upon him, ex¬ 
cited the envy and malignity of many among his rivals, who 
ascribed the most meritorious parts of his works to the 
ability of his pupils, among whom were Jordaens, Van 
Uden, Snyders, Wilden, &c., and forgetting that such men 
would not consent to work for another whom they did not 
regard as pre-eminent to themselves. Cornelius Schut abused 
him for lack of invention. Abraham Jansens had the au¬ 
dacity to defy him to a trial of strength. Rubens answered, 
that he would contend with him when he had shewn himself 
to be a worthy competitor. A more friendly offer was re¬ 
jected by him with equal wit. A chemist offered him a 
share of his laboratory, and of his hopes of obtaining the 
philosopher’s stone. He carried the visionary into his paint¬ 
ing room, and told him his offer came twenty years too late, 
for so long, said he, is it since I found the art of making 
gold with my palette and pencils. The abuse of Schut and 
of Rombouts, who joined in it, he answered by relieving 
their necessities, and procuring them employment; and by 
engaging in those varieties of art, landscapes, lion and 
crocodile-hunting, and other miscellaneous subjects, he 
decidedly established his claim to the title of an universal 
painter, and covered his calumniators with shame and con¬ 
fusion. 
In 1620, when his talents had procured him universal 
renown, he received a commission from Mary de Medici 
to adorn the gallery of the palace of the Luxembourg. 
There, in consequence, he executed the works so well 
known; in which he represented, with the most rich and 
varied imagination, by very ingenious allegorical and em¬ 
blematical designs, the principal events in the life of that 
princess. The whole were executed at Antwerp, except 
two pictures, which he painted at Paris in 1623, when 
he went there to arrange the whole in the gallery: and 
thus, in the short space of three years, amidst innumerable 
other engagements, was this large series of compositions, 
extensive in their design, and rich in number of figures and 
in variety of colouring, completed: exhibiting an astonish¬ 
ing proof of the vivacity of his imagination, and the skill 
and dexterity with which he controlled the materials of his 
art. It was at this period that he became known to the 
duke of Buckingham, as that nobleman passed with his 
master, prince Charles, through France on his way to 
Madrid. He afterwards became the purchaser of Rubens’s 
rich museum of works of art, for which he is said to have 
given 10,000/. sterling. 
On the return of Rubens to Antwerp, he was honoured 
with several conferences with the Infanta Isabella, and wasbv 
5 P her 
