Rubens Cafe

Rubens House in Antwerp was the former home and workplace of the famous painter Peter Paul Rubens, who is considered the city's greatest son. Built around 1610, the building was designed by Rubens himself after Italian Renaissance models, and it served as his residence, studio, and administrative center for his extensive correspondence. He spent most of his life here and died in 1640. The city of Antwerp did not acquire the property until 1937, in order to honor its most important citizen. After a restoration that was interrupted by World War II, the house opened its doors as a museum in 1946 and today stands very close to the central train station.

In the historic rooms, you can gain an insight into the life and work of the artist. The large studio displays, among other works, the early painting "Adam and Eve in Paradise," while Rubens' best-known self-portrait hangs in the former pantry. The building once housed a large workshop in which hundreds of assistants took part in producing his works. Behind the house lies a garden laid out in the Flemish-Italian Renaissance style, which was carefully upgraded in the late 1990s and early 2000s. At the rear of the garden you will also find the Rubenianum, a research center for the study of Rubens and Flemish art.