About
Rubens House (Rubenshuis) is the former home and studio of the baroque master Peter Paul Rubens, set on the Wapper in the historic centre of Antwerp, Flanders. It is a visit for anyone curious about how a great painter lived and worked, as much as about the paintings themselves.
What you will see
The restored 17th-century mansion is arranged around its period rooms, which give a close and intimate sense of domestic life in the house. Alongside them are artworks connected with Rubens and his circle, so the building itself becomes part of the story. Because the house was both a home and a working studio, the rooms help you picture the rhythm of a busy artist's household.
What kind of visit it makes
- A slower, personal visit rather than a large gallery tour
- A good match for lovers of baroque art and architecture
- A chance to see a historic mansion in the setting of the city it belonged to
The house also has a beautiful garden, which makes a pleasant pause between the rooms and gives a calmer view of the building.
Around the museum
The house sits on the Wapper, so you can combine your visit with a walk through Antwerp's old centre, where the city's streets, churches and squares reflect the same era as Rubens's work. Allow time to wander afterwards and see the surrounding streets at your own pace.
