Experience

Antwerp marks 450 years since the birth of Peter Paul Rubens with year-long programme

Posted by Timothy on

Antwerp will celebrate the 450th anniversary of the birth of Peter Paul Rubens in 2027 with exhibitions, concerts, contemporary art projects and special events across the city. The programme will explore the Baroque master’s artistic legacy, international influences and lasting impact on Antwerp.

Born in 1577, Rubens remains one of the most celebrated figures in art history and a defining presence in Antwerp’s cultural heritage. Visitors will be able to discover his work through exhibitions and events, as well as at the museums, churches and historic buildings associated with his life.

Exhibitions and events

The programme opens with ‘Out of Rubens’ shadow: forgotten masters‘ rediscovered, at the Museum Plantin-Moretus from 27 March to 27 June 2027. The exhibition explores prints by Rubens’ predecessors, contemporaries and followers, highlighting artists who helped shape the artistic landscape of his time.

Music will also feature prominently. On 18 June, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra will perform a new composition by Bohdana Frolyak, inspired by the four Rubens paintings in the Cathedral of Our Lady, alongside music by Lodewijk De Vocht.

From 25 September 2027 to 30 January 2028, Rubens meets will bring contemporary art into four historic churches: the Cathedral of Our Lady, St Paul’s Church, St James’s Church, and St Charles Borromeo Church. Artists including Berlinde De Bruyckere, Tracey Emin, and Luc Tuymans will enter into a dialogue with Rubens and his work.

The Snijders&Rockox House will host Rubens’ lost notebook from 30 September 2027 to 13 January 2028. The exhibition will explore the artist’s intellectual world through exceptional copies of his now-lost notebook.

At the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA), Rubens and the world will run from 9 October 2027 to 16 January 2028. Iconic works by the artist will be presented alongside objects from different parts of the world, examining how international influences shaped his art.

The Museum Plantin-Moretus will also mark the 500th anniversary of the birth of Antwerp cartographer Abraham Ortelius with an exhibition from 30 October 2027 to 30 January 2028. His ‘Theatrum Orbis Terrarum‘, published in 1570 and considered the first modern atlas, will provide a window into the world in which Rubens grew up and worked.

Rubens beyond the museum

Visitors will also be able to watch the restoration of Rubens’ ‘Adoration of the Magi‘ at the KMSKA. The work is taking place in the museum’s Rubens Gallery and is scheduled for completion in summer 2027 as part of the anniversary programme.

The Rubens House will host four editions of ‘The Cabinet Sessions‘ on 5 March, 26 June, 24 September and 3 December 2027. The events will combine innovative music, talks and workshops, with a special birthday edition on Saturday 26 June.

Rubens’ legacy will also appear in Antwerp’s streets. New street art inspired by the Baroque master will be created across the city centre, with the works intended to remain part of the urban landscape beyond the anniversary year.

The programme builds on Antwerp’s existing Rubens heritage, which can be explored at the Rubens House , the KMSKA, the Cathedral of Our Lady, several historic churches and the Museum Plantin-Moretus.

Further information and programme updates are available at Visit Antwerp‘s 450 years of Rubens website.

Art and museums in Antwerp

Leave a Reply

Your post must include a link to this post.

How does this work?
Write a response on your own website and include a link to this post. Then submit your response’s URL here. Your response may appear here after moderation. To update or remove it, edit or delete your original post and submit the same URL again. Learn more about Webmentions.