Portico and pavilion   

Growing fruit and vegetables, walking the dog, playing with the kids or having a party with friends. Rubens used his garden for exactly the same occasions we do four centuries later. But the structures he built in it are very rare gems these days. And that was actually the case even in his day. Unless you lived in italy.   

That was where rubens found his inspiration for his portico with a pavilion. Inspired by the works of his great heroes: raphael, michelangelo, giulio romano and other leading names in italian art and architecture. Rubens obviously wasn't the only international admirer of these artists, but he was the first to introduce their architectural style here, adding his own personal touch in the process.  

The portico forms the central passageway and is a clear nod to the porta pia, michelangelo's famous city gate in rome. It is an ode to the architecture of antiquity. Can you see the two 'bucrania', or ox skulls, on the left and right sides in the upper corners? They are a reference to the 12 labours of hercules. Similarly, the rams' heads represent patience, or christ's sacrifice. Or was rubens' primary intention to represent prosperity? He was a hard worker, so that could well be the case.   

The mythical satyrs, forest creatures that are half man and half beast, symbolise how you walk through the portico straight into nature. The dolphins represent eroticism and love. The portico is an ingenious work by rubens: brimming with symbolism and craftsmanship.   

To connect the 16th-century residence with his brand-new painting studio, he could just as easily have built a simple wall. But rubens saw it as an opportunity to dazzle with something unique. The plan for a portico had been brewing in his head for some time. A few years after purchasing his house, the time had finally come.  

Rubens incorporated various elements of the famous city gate in rome in his design. The most striking of which was the angled central arch. Although this was clearly not a copy. Rubens added a host of personal touches to the portico. Among other things, the life-size statues of the roman gods mercury and minerva at the top. One the god of painting, the other of wisdom. Concepts which rubens enthusiastically identified with, and which were a clear statement to visitors to the rubenshuis. Both then and now.  

What else stands out on the portico? The panels of text held by the mythical satyrs at the top. It is the only place in the whole site where rubens addresses you in words rather than images. The quotes are from juvenal's satire X, whose themes include man's self-assertiveness and the futility of human ambition. The satire also includes more well-known quotes including 'mens sana in corpore sano', a healthy mind in a healthy body. Rubens was an advocate of reason and self-control.  

You can't miss it. Through the middle arch of the portico, the garden pavilion immediately catches the eye. Like a kind of point de vue. This line of sight from the portico to the pavilion is anything but a coincidence. As was the case in his canvases, rubens was also a genius in architectural perspective. It is as though he draws you into the garden and pavilion via the arches. As usual, the arch grabs the attention, and there is a prominent role for a roman (demi) god: hercules. The symbolism? You find your way to virtue through art and wisdom. Those walking under the statues of the roman gods mercury and minerva will find peace from the nature behind the portico  

Anyone who had the honour of visiting rubens was left in awe. For his pupil anthony van dyck and collaborator jacques jordaens, it was everyday fare, but even they continually marvelled at rubens' creations as they came in and out of the studio. Jordaens incorporated the portico in some of his paintings and van dyck even drew a detail study.   

Both buildings underwent extensive restoration between 2017 and 2019. Infiltrating rainwater had caused considerable damage. The sculptures were thoroughly cleaned and restored in the process, and missing elements were not filled in. A meticulous approach in other words, respecting rubens' original preferences. A glass roof in the shape of a butterfly now protects the portico from all weather conditions. The self-supporting and almost invisible construction will offer clear views of rubens' exceptional talent for architecture for centuries to come.