Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-11-13
Stories of the Masters
RUBENS

He made compromises neither In his
art nor in his behavior toward his
patrons. Once a courtier seeing him
at work before an easel asked, Does
His Most Catholic Majesty,s represent
tative amuse himself with painting?"
And Rubens answered, mo, the artist
sometimes amuses himself with diplo-
macy" The truth is that his energies
were those of 10 men-and his talents
as prodigious.
Somehow he met Marie de Medici,
who was building her palace of the
Luxembourg. Two galleries were given
over to Rubenst Upon the wall of one
ne was to paint the detailed saga of
her far from extraordinary life, and
on the walls of the other the career
OF her husband. Henry w. Only her
own life story was completed. with a
wealth OF NEUROLOGICAL figures en-
livening the dull proceedings. 1t was
so stupendous an enterprise that with
all Rubens' ability to work quickly, it
took three years to finish 1t was never
completely paid for The story goes,
In fact, that Marie having come upon
evil days, turned to Rubens in her ad-
versity and borrowed money from him.
In Paris, where Rubens was attending
to the installing Of the panels of
Marie's life, he met the Duke of
Buckingham.
Duke Purchased Paintings
The Duke, with ambitions to recon-
Gle the Kingdoms of Spain and Eng
land. looked upon Rubens as a worthy
ambassador Of peace. He hoped even
that he could dissuade the painter
from his present career in art and turn
him permanently to diplomacy. With
this in mind he offered him 100 600
norlns as a sort of close-out price for
his collection Of antique treasures and
Tor what pictures remained in the
studio. Rubens sold all that the Duke
wished to buy, but before he delivered
them the statues had all been cast
and new pictures had been painted by
him to replace those the Duke had
bought.
The painter arrived in England on
his mission of peace. King Charles I
Of England, who appreciated Rubens'
superb talent, lavished gifts upon him
valued at 10000 crowns.
When Rubens returned to Antwerp
ne was SO. Isabella, his wife. had
been four years dead and now he met
Helena Fourment, girl of is. no older
than one OF his own children. But
their marriage was happy one. One
OF his finest paintings is of himself
an elderly cavalier, beside his Young
beautiful bride.
With all the going and coming. the
travelling and needless delays at court
the diplomacy and ceremony. he con-
tinued to paint his tremendous cam
vases OF warm, living larger-than-life
fgures and joyously conceived nudes
In beautifully designed compositions
flooded with rich, SenSuous color. His
studio in Antwerp was nothing short
OF masterpiece factory, where he
handed assistants sketches that they
executed upon canvaSes, and returned
TO him for his finishing touch that
fused their elements and stamped
them as the work of Rubens' hand
Thousands of pictures came from the
workshop-no man was better able to
make use Of the talents of others to
express his own fertile imagination. He
executed himself at least 1900 pic
lures and there are fully 1000 that he
did with assistance.
Tic III
by his charm and his charm by the
uniformly high regard in which he
was held by all who knew him