Rubens

A great artist and an influential diplomat, Peter Paul Rubens was a man of remarkable accomplishment. As a diplomat he was devoted to working for peace, visiting the courts of the most powerful leaders in Europe. As an artist, earning fame during his lifetime, he traveled across Europe decorating large palaces and churches. Elizabeth Ripley shows Rubens working and studying in Italy, where the foundations of his style were laid. She follows the development of his distinctive style, which strongly influenced the French and English painters of the following century. Rubens' vivid personality and character shine through as the greatness of his contribution to the world of art is shown. Readers will be drawn into the exceptional life of Peter Paul Rubens, one of the most influential Northern European artists of the 17th century.