In the anniversary issue of CODART's eZine, Paul Huvenne (Director of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp) discusses Rubens's Flemish heritage.
'When the young Belgian state saw its independence ratified by the nations of Europe in 1840, it celebrated this historic event in Antwerp with Rubens festivities mounted on a grand scale. The new nation yearned for great moments from its past that could legitimize its claim to independence. It was only natural to associate Rubens with the country's history, since he had been the privileged court painter to Albert and Isabella, rulers of the principum belgarum.1 A court official and entrepreneur, Rubens embodied the cultural grandeur - recognized throughout Europe - of his generation.'