Rubens was an all-rounder. Painter, entrepreneur, teacher and ... architect. The portico, garden pavilion and artist's residence of the Rubenshuis are the only remaining examples in the world of Rubens' talent as an architect. They brilliantly testify to how he could also give form to buildings with his creative brushstrokes.
Rubens also owes his reputation as a talented architect to his Palazzi di Genova, a book of facades, floor plans and cross-sections of palaces, villas and churches in Genoa. He had become besotted by the Italian architectural style during his long stay in Italy. Raphael and Michelangelo - both also painters and architects - were his idols. They were Rubens' inspiration when he renovated his home on the Wapper. He extended it with an iconic sculpture room, monumental studio and enchanting garden, with the portico and garden pavilion being the showpieces.
The residence of Rubens the Architect reflected how he worked and lived: grandly. When he and Isabella Brant purchased the property in 1610, he immediately sat down at the drawing board. He took a leap of faith, mixing the old Flemish style with a hearty dose of Italian Renaissance. This bold mix resulted in a city palace which still to this day is one of the most recognisable and architecturally important artist's residences in the world. City architect Emiel Van Averbeke restored and converted the artist's residence into a museum between 1937 and 1946.
He didn't design it, but Rubens may well have been looking on when the Antwerp Guild of Crossbowmen started construction of the new, adjacent Kolveniershof in 1631. This is where the men who maintained law and order in the city came together for archery practice and festive gatherings. The Kolveniershof will be restored from 2030 at the earliest.
If walls could talk. The portico and garden pavilion are the only authentic remnants of rubens' extension plans. Extremely innovative at the time, and no less amazing today. The grandeur of one structure literally gives a view of the splendour of the other. A sensational perspective with forms and features that were unprecedented at the time, north of the alps.
The artist’s residence is temporarily closed for renovation works. Please bear with us — you’ll soon be able to admire Rubens’ palace again. In the meantime, you can explore the house and studio digitally thanks to a 3D scan created in 2022.
onwards to the next 400 years!
Following the restoration of the portico and pavilion between 2017 and 2019, the artist's residence and the kolveniershof will also be restored to their former glory. Respecting the past and looking clearly to the future. Visitors will enjoy a new, comfortable experience from 2030 at the earliest, among other things thanks to a lift, sanitary facilities and additional exhibition space.
