Peter Paul Rubens

Timeline

1. 1601–1608Mantua · Duchy of MantuaRubens was employed by Duke Vincenzo I Gonzaga of Mantua and traveled to Rome, Venice, and elsewhere to copy and study the works of Titian, Raphael, and Caravaggio, absorbing classical sculpture and Renaissance painting, laying the foundation of his Baroque style.
2. 1608Antwerp · FlandersIn 1608 Rubens returned to Antwerp because his mother was gravely ill, and thereafter settled in Flanders. He fused what he had learned in Italy with northern traditions, quickly becoming the leading painter there and establishing a large studio.
3. 1609–1610Antwerp · FlandersIn 1609 Rubens was appointed court painter to the governors of the Spanish Netherlands, Archduke Albert and Archduchess Isabella, with permission not to reside permanently in Brussels. This appointment marked the beginning of the peak of his career, after which he received numerous commissions on religious, mythological, and diplomatic subjects.