Dulwich Picture Gallery will present Rubens & Women, a major exhibition of the Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640).
Uniting a diverse range of paintings and drawings from throughout Rubens’s career, the exhibition will be the first to challenge the popular assumption that the artist painted only one type of woman, providing instead a more nuanced view of the varied and important place occupied by women, both real and imagined, in his world.
Over 40 paintings and drawings along with archive material will reveal the essential ways in which Rubens’s relationships with women nourished his creativity and career – from the role played by his female patrons and family members to his profound faith, artistic beliefs, and great loves.
Featuring masterpieces from international and private collections, many of which will be appearing in the UK for the first time, this landmark exhibition will reconsider one of art history’s most influential figures.
The exhibition will open with a striking series of portraits of elegant, elite and powerful women shown alongside intimate depictions of his two wives, Isabella Brant and Helena Fourment, and his eldest daughter, Clara Serena, who acted as models for religious commissions.
A further theme will follow the evolution of the female nude in Rubens’s art. It will demonstrate how Rubens’s early nudes were quite different in style from those he became famous for, tracing how he arrived at his preferred form through an engagement with sculpture, careful study of antique models and observation from life.
The exhibition will underline how the women in Rubens’s art were not simply passive objects to be observed, but active agents of their own destiny, and a powerful finale to the show will include large-scale paintings of heroic mythological women.
Jennifer Scott, Director of Dulwich Picture Gallery, said: “This exhibition will shed new light on the women depicted by Rubens, presenting complex heroines based on inspirational women in the artist’s own life.
“With significant works from the Gallery’s collection shown alongside international masterpieces on display in the UK for the first time, this is an exciting opportunity for audiences to reconnect with one of art history’s most famous figures”
Dulwich Picture Gallery, Gallery Road, London SE21 7AD from September 27th – January 28th. Times: Tue-Sun, 10am–5pm.
Admission: Tickets go on sale at the end of August go to the website for more information.
Booking: www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk
