Rubenshuis acquires rare drawing with handwritten letter
A rare drawing by Peter Paul Rubens has made it to the museum in Antwerp dedicated to him.
The drawing dates back to 1607, when Rubens was living and working in Rome. It features three men in classic drapes and was probably a study depicting apostles. On the other side of the paper is a letter, written in Italian, to artist Cristoforo Roncalli.
Both drawings and letters are extremely rare in Rubens’ known body of work, so this is truly a remarkable find and gives a special insight into the artist’s work and life at the time. The celebrated Flemish baroque painter and diplomat has produced over 1,400 works.
He was trained by, among others, Antwerp landscape painter Tobias Verhaecht, but eventually took to Italy to study the likes of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.
The Rubens House is currently being renovated, but once the works are completed, the drawing and letter will have a prominent place in the museum. It is the third drawing and 11th letter the museum has acquired.