Lecture: "Rubens as a Machine"

Peter Paul Rubens remains a mysterious figure in the history of art, diplomacy, and public life. This Flemish painter—an early pioneer of Baroque, a diplomat, and a collector—created more than a thousand paintings during his career. Thanks to him, the world learned about such talented artists as Antonis van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens, his outstanding students. King Philip IV of Spain granted Rubens nobility, and King Charles I of England made him a knight. How did a lion end up on Rubens’s coat of arms? Why did fate favor him so much, while it didn’t smile on Rembrandt—an equally gifted contemporary? Comparing these two masters helps to understand their creative legacy more deeply. Art historian Oleg Nasobin will offer an exciting study of attribution for one of Rubens’s sketches, revealing new sides of his genius.