PeterPaul Rubens was among the most influential artists in 17th-centuryEurope. Despite a childhood marred by a scandal that landed his father inprison, Rubens rose to become not only a prominent court painter in the SpanishNetherlands but also a lauded diplomat who worked across Western Europe. Withcountless biographies written about the artist and exhibitions of his workcontinuing into the present day, the legacy of this Flemish Baroque artist ishard to overstate.

In this episode, Getty curator Anne Woollett discusses the life of Rubens through 17th-century biographies by three authors: Giovanni Baglione, Joachim von Sandrart, and Roger de Piles.

For images, transcripts, and more, visit getty.edu/podcasts.