Rubens and His Legacy
Van Dyck to Cézanne
24 January — 10 April 2015
"One of art's greatest figures"
The Independent
"Superb moments of instinctive insight"
The Sunday Times
"Inspired"
The Independent
Sponsored by
Rubens and His Legacy
Peter Paul Rubens has been described as the “prince of painters”. A bold claim? Judge for yourself at this, the first major overview of his work and legacy.
Rubens and His Legacy brings together masterpieces produced during his lifetime, as well as major works by great artists who were influenced by him in the generations that followed. We see the influence of Rubens in the prints of Picasso and Rembrandt, in the portraiture of Van Dyck, in the hunting scenes and devotional works of Delacroix, and in the landscapes of Constable and Gainsborough. It is a far reaching and remarkable legacy.
Rubens, best known for his fleshy nude women, also embraced a broad array of subjects, from religious and mythological scenes to landscapes and portraits. We look at each of these areas through the lens of six themes; power, lust, compassion, elegance, poetry and violence.
Set to be one of the biggest spectacles of 2015, this is an unprecedented opportunity to see masterpieces by Rubens side by side with the work of his artistic heirs.
Online booking for this exhibition has now closed, however there will be tickets available at the ticket desk for the final evening on 10 April.
24 January — 10 April 2015
Sunday – Thursday 10am – 6pm
Friday 10am – 10pm
Saturday 10am – 8pm
£16.50 (without donation £15). Concessions available. Friends of the RA and under 16s go free.
Main Galleries, Burlington House
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La Peregrina
Contemporary works join 'Rubens and His Legacy'
As part of this landmark exhibition, celebrated artist and Royal Academician Jenny Saville has curated La Peregrina, a personal and contemporary response to Rubens and His Legacy.
For La Peregrina, Saville has chosen a selection of works by major 20th and 21st century artists. As well as paintings by Willem de Kooning, Pablo Picasso, Francis Bacon, Sarah Lucas, Lucian Freud and others, you can see extraordinary new work created by Saville especially for this occasion.
Jenny Saville is best known for her large-scale oil paintings of female figures. With her deep fascination in the palpability of flesh, extremities of anatomy and the grotesque, Saville’s artwork invokes the influence of Rubens. The range of works she has brought together reflect both her personal response and deep understanding of one of the great masters of art history.
“Whether you think you like Rubens or not, his influence runs through the pathways of painting. Like Warhol, he changed the game of art.” - Jenny Saville RA
![Jenny Saville with 'Voice of the Shuttle (Philomela)']()
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Audio guide extract
Jenny Saville discusses the legacy of Peter Paul Rubens
As part of the exhibition Rubens and His Legacy, British painter Jenny Saville has curated a contemporary response to the ‘prince of painters’. Here, she talks to Tim Marlow, Artistic Director, about how Rubens has influenced artists from De Kooning to Sarah Lucas.
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So total was his artistic vision, his legacy can be felt, one way or another, in the majority of painters who followed him…It’s fair to say that art was one thing before Rubens and quite another after him
Alastair Smart, The Daily Telegraph
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Gallery
![Peter Paul Rubens, Tiger, Lion and Leopard Hunt]()
Peter Paul Rubens, Tiger, Lion and Leopard Hunt, c.1616.
![Eugène Delacroix, Lion Hunt]()
Eugène Delacroix, Lion Hunt, 1858.
![Peter Paul Rubens and Jan Brueghel the Elder, Pan and Syrinx]()
Peter Paul Rubens and Jan Brueghel the Elder, Pan and Syrinx, c.1617.
![François Boucher, Pan and Syrinx]()
François Boucher, Pan and Syrinx, 1759.
![Francis Bacon, Sleeping Figure]()
Francis Bacon, Sleeping Figure, 1959.
![Peter Paul Rubens, The Triumph of Henri IV]()
Peter Paul Rubens, The Triumph of Henri IV, 1630.
![Peter Paul Rubens, Evening Landscape with Timber Wagon]()
Peter Paul Rubens, Evening Landscape with Timber Wagon, 1630-40.
![Eugène Delacroix, The Triumph of Apollo (Apollo Vanquishing the Serpent Python)]()
Eugène Delacroix, The Triumph of Apollo (Apollo Vanquishing the Serpent Python), c. 1853.
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![Exhibition tour]()
Talks and tours
Get more out of the exhibition
Exhibition tours
45 minutes
Free with an exhibition ticket, no booking required.
Wednesday 2.30pm
Friday 7pm
(28 January to 3 April)Exhibition spotlight talks
10 minute talks on individual works from current exhibitions, free with exhibition entry.
Thursday 3pm
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This is a fascinating exhibition that demonstrates Rubens’s protean reach into just about every area of art over the past four centuries
Mark Hudson, The Telegraph
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Resources
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![Peter Paul Rubens, Tiger, Lion and Leopard Hunt]()
Exhibition in focus guide
Read up on Rubens with our guide to the exhibition, a beautifully illustrated introduction which presents the central themes of the exhibition and key artworks within Rubens’s wider art historical and cultural context. Written especially for secondary students and teachers, the guide is nevertheless suitable for all.
Download the ‘Rubens and His Legacy’ Exhibition in focus guide
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![Friends enjoying exclusive access to our galleries]()
Large print labels
Although large print labels will be available in every room of the exhibition, you can download them before arriving at the RA.
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![Enjoying one of the RA's Family Workshops]()
Learning and schools
Find out more about our learning programme around Rubens and His Legacy and download the Rubens Art Detective, an engaging exhibition trail for young visitors.
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Shop
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![Rubens and His Legacy catalogue]()
Exhibition catalogue
This stunning book explores Rubens’s legacy thematically, through a series of sections devoted to Violence, Power, Lust, Compassion, Elegance and Poetry – illustrating some of the master’s most famous paintings alongside great works that bear his influence.
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![Mademoiselle Lundens Tray]()
Mademoiselle Lundens Tray
George Maile painted Mademoiselle Susanna Lundens in 1808. She was a proposed wife to Peter Paul Rubens, but it was in fact her younger sister Hélène who in 1630 became the painter’s second wife. Exclusively produced for the RA, this tray captures her expression.
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![Rubens, 'The Garden of Love', framed print]()
Print on demand
Bring the baroque into your own home with this beautiful framed print of ‘The Garden of Love’ by Peter Paul Rubens. It is in this painting that Rubens was celebrating his second marriage to Hélène Fourment, who was deemed “the most beautiful woman in Antwerp.”
Choose from a selection of outstanding reproduction prints from Rubens and His Legacy and the rest of the RA Collection. Prints can be delivered direct to your door.
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Related articles
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A dating guide to Rubens
Date this weekend? Rubens is open on Friday and Saturday evenings. Here are the works not to miss – and what (not) to say about them.
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How well do you know Rubens? Take the quiz
Rubens and His Legacy explores the artist’s influence across art history. Let’s see what you know about this Baroque master…
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![Peter Paul Rubens, The Triumph of Henri IV]()
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< 5 years ago
Peter Paul Rubens: a beginner’s guide
The influence of the Flemish Baroque master can be seen across art history, from the portraits of Van Dyck to the prints of Picasso. Here’s a quick intro to “the prince of painters”.
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Baroque ‘n’ roll: Rubens and his enduring artistic legacy
From his battle scenes to royal portraits, landscapes and altarpieces, Rubens’s extraordinary output occupies a uniquely heroic position in the history of art. Waldemar Januszczak argues that art was one thing before him – and another thing after.
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![Peter Paul Rubens, Evening Landscape with Timber Wagon]()
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< 5 years ago
Rubens and His Legacy: the story so far
Our upcoming Rubens show is the first major exhibition to look at the Flemish master’s influence on four centuries of art history. We caught up with curator Arturo Galansino to learn about the genesis of the show.
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![Peter Paul Rubens, Evening Landscape with Timber Wagon]()
Special Rubens package for two people
Enjoy a special Rubens package for two people, including two tickets to the exhibition, Rubens and His Legacy, with two audioguides followed by two cocktails in the bar of the Keeper’s House restaurant, all for £50.
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