Rubens’s Workshop

In the early 17th century, Peter Paul Rubens was not only one of the most famous painters in Europe, but perhaps also the most prolific, producing more than 1,500 works in his lifetime. But this impressive number cannot be attributed to the Flemish artist alone: like many professional painters of the period, he ran a highly successful workshop where a carefully selected team of assistants aided in the execution of commissions under his name. How this workshop functioned is the focus of this exhibition at the Prado in Madrid, which presents some 27 works, including paintings, drawings and etchings, that reflect the different kinds of collaboration that took place between the master and his assistants (15 October–16 February 2025). The exhibition also provides a glimpse into the physical space itself, partially reconstructing the workshop with easels, canvases, brushes and palettes – 17th-century originals as well as reproductions – in addition to books, busts and other items Rubens liked having around.

Find out more from the Prado’s website.

Preview below | View Apollo’s Art Diary

Helena Fourment with her Children Clara Johanna and Frans (c. 1636), Peter Paul Rubens. Musée du Louvre, Paris

Mercury and Argus (1636–39), Peter Paul Rubens and workshop. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid

Achilles discovered by Odysseus and Diomedes (c. 1617–18), Peter Paul Rubens and workshop (Anthony van Dyck). Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid