A look at the royal families’ albums with the exhibition Rubens; Royal Portraits, at the Luxembourg Museum

Painting the portrait of a sovereign is undoubtedly the most prestigious of commissions. Although it’s well known that Peter Paul Rubens painted the likenesses of many of the kings, queens, princesses and princes of his time, never before has an exhibition of the artist’s work been dedicated solely to this theme.

Like a family album of European royalty, the exhibition shows the portraits of Marie de Medici and the sovereigns of her time, from the House of Habsburg to the court of Mantua, where her kin held sway before she became the mother and mother-in-law of the kings of France, Spain and England.

The lush style that gained him the reputation as a ‘prince of painters and painter of princes’ gives Rubens’ royal portraits an unprecedented sense of life. The 65 works assembled for the occasion include exceptional masterpieces such as Marie de Medicis, on loan from Spain’s Prado Museum, and Louis XIII from the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.

 

Rubens; Royal Portraits at the Musée du Luxembourg

from October 4^th, 2017 to January 14^th, 2018

 

19 Rue Vaugirard, 6^th arrondissement

A 22 minute walk from the Hotel Monge

 

Open every day from 10:30 to 19:00, late opening on Fridays until 22:00

Late openings on Mondays until 22:00 from November 13^th to December 18^th.

www.museeduluxembourg.fr

 

Photo: Anne of Austria – Peter Paul Rubens - © Rijksmuseum Amsterdam