Rubens and Modern Science

A virtuoso of invention and a great colourist, Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) based his painting practice on a sound theory. Rubens’ reputation as a learned man is supported by the accounts of his biographers, but above all by the existence of a few autograph manuscripts that have unfortunately been lost over the centuries. However, with the recent discovery of four manuscript copies dating back to the 1600s, it is now possible and essential to shed light on Rubens’ concerns with Renaissance and early modern natural philosophy, on the circulation and transmission of this knowledge within his studio for teaching purposes, and on its impact in shaping Rubens’ thoughts on art. By combining the methodologies of the historical-humanistic disciplines, such as textual analysis and contextualisation, with object-based research, this research paves the way for a new and more comprehensive understanding of Rubens’ persona and creative process and leads to an in-depth exploration of the interplay of theory and practice, which was at the basis of his masterful painting technique.