From that start, the young Rubens would have preferred to be an artist, but his family felt that due to his diplomatic predisposition, serving as a messenger would be the ideal fit.
Rubens became the apprentice of Tobias Verhaeghe in 1591 when he was 14 years of age. Verhaeghe was a distant relative of the family and regarded as an uncelebrated artist.
Rubens then traveled to Venice in 1600 to see the works of Veronese, Titian, and Tintoterro with his own eyes. He was instantly captivated by the vivid hues and compositions.
Towards the end of the 1620s, his knack for diplomacy was put to full use, as he traveled between the royal courts of Spain and England to try and engage the two countries in a peace treaty.
Rubens spent the last 10 years of his life only producing artworks that interested him, selectively choosing commissions that allowed him to do so. He also married his deceased wife’s niece in 1630.
Rubens is most well-known for his religious and mythological artworks that often featured naked people. He produced his art in the Baroque style, portraying women as rather passive and soft-bodied creatures.
Rubens loved depicting textures such as fur and created hunting scenes where he could portray wild animals and beautiful scenery. He was also a prolific painter of portraits, creating works of his family, friends, and royalty.
Landscapes were another of Rubens’ specialties, and while staying in the country, he grew to love the outdoors and produced in a manner that would heavily influence Romanticism artists.
Some of Rubens most important artworks include Self-Portrait with Isabella Brandt, his first wife, in the Honeysuckle Bower (1609), The Elevation of the Cross (1610 - 1611), and Prometheus Bound (1618), among others.