Peter Paul Rubens, 1577-1640: The Masterpieces from the Viennese Collections

Many European cities claim to be cities of Rubens. They do so either for biographical reasons-because the artist once lived there-or because of the presence of his paintings in their museums' collections. But since the spring of 2004, when the major works in the Collections of the Prince of Liechtenstein returned to their traditional home, Vienna has been outshining the other Rubens cities, such as Antwerp and Genoa, both in the sheer number and in the importance of its Rubens paintings. Because of the variety and high quality of their works by Rubens, the great collections of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Liechtenstein Museum, and the Gemaldegalerie der Akademie der bildenden Kunste are in a position to provide a comprehensive overview of the artist's career. The Triptych of St. Ildefonso, the Decius Mus cycle, portraits of Rubens's children, and the virtuoso oil sketches for the ceiling paintings of Antwerp's Jesuit Church are only a few examples of the artist's outstanding masterpieces in Vienna. With its opulent photographs, including numerous details and comparative illustrations, this magnificent book presents more than ninety works by the Flemish master.Kraftner, Johann is the author of 'Peter Paul Rubens, 1577-1640: The Masterpieces from the Viennese Collections' with ISBN 9780500976470 and ISBN 0500976473.