Background
Rubens was born in Antwerp as the son of art dealer Arnold Rubbens and Catharina Pannens. He may have studied mainly on his own by copying paintings and prints that were available in his father"s shop.
Rubens was born in Antwerp as the son of art dealer Arnold Rubbens and Catharina Pannens. He may have studied mainly on his own by copying paintings and prints that were available in his father"s shop.
Little is known about his life and training. He became a master in the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke in 1715-1716. Jacob de Vil became his pupil in 1715-1716.
The artist died young in Antwerp.
In his biographies of Dutch painters published between 1729 and 1769, the Dutch biographer Jacob Campo Weyerman showed appreciation for Rubens" depiction of the faces of soldiers and palette. He was, however, negative about the manner in which Rubens painted horses and accused him even of copying prints by the German painter of battle scenes Georg Philipp Rugendas.
In contrast, Weyerman was positive about the character of Rubens, whom he described as follows:
s of Arnold Frans Rubens are in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.