Was Peter Paul Rubens a Diplomat?
Peter Paul Rubens (28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was born in Siegen in Germany. a great Flemish Baroque painter, is well-known for his Counter-Reformation altarpieces, portraits, landscapes, and history paintings of mythological and allegorical subjects.
We all know Rubens is a great artists, his artworks are loved by lots of people, He is remarkable not only because he is a successful painter produced number of works, but he also is a outstanding diplomat who played an important role in 17th-centry European politics.
Actually during 1621-1630. Rubens become increasingly busy with diplomatic duties. Antwerp, in the southern Netherlands, was part of an empire ruled by Catholic Spain. The Protestant northern Netherlands were united under Dutch rule. Both sides hoped to unite the Netherlands under their own regime.
In 1610, a 12 year truce between the Dutch and the Spanish had allowed the Archdukes Albert and Isabella to continue their Catholic rule in peace and stability. In 1621 the truce came to an end and just at this crucial time, the sovereign Archduke Albert died. His consort, Isabella, continued as governor but her situation was a precarious one as Spain, France and England tried to decide who they should ally themselves with, and against whom.
Rubens was called upon to negotiate in France and England on behalf of Isabella as the representative of the Spanish Netherlands. Because painters often had reason to travel to foreign courts, he was well placed to carry out secret or delicate visits without his presence arousing suspicion. He became a close confidante of Isabella and she valued his advice.
In 1624 Rubens was granted a patent of nobility by Isabella’s nephew Philip IV and in 1627 she moved him even further up the social scale by making him a ‘gentleman of the household’.
Rubens himself pretty like diplomatic works, he had a comment which goes like this ‘ painting is my career, diplomat is my hobby.
The following are some popular Rubens paintings:
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