Stop and of noble bearing, had the regular factions, the pink cheeks, the brown hair and in the eyes the brightness of a contained passion. Its company was seductive, its good natured temperament, its pleasing conversation, its penetrating talent vivaz and, its way to speak calm and judicious and the tone of its pleasant voice, which him made persuasivo eloquent and. This way it describes to Roger de Piles (1699) to Peter Paul Rubens, one of the great geniuses of Baroque and the one of the main figures of the History of the Art, when reuniting in a single person singular artistic dowries, important the modern language and, humanistic knowledge dominion Latin several and a special ability for the diplomacy, becoming example for a good handful of artists, among others the Spanish Vela'zquez. The family of Rubens was original of Amberes where his father, Jan Rubens had reached the position of municipal magistrate, after to have studied laws in the universities of Lovaina, Padua and Rome. Nevertheless, the serious political and religious events that live the Netherlands in the decade on 1560 take to the Jan young person to exile in 1568, due to the calvinismo suspicions that

ell on him. The Rubens family - Jan had married with Maria Pypelinx and several children had already been born was transferred to Cologne where Jan entered the service of Ana de Sajonia, the wife of Guillermo de Orange. The relation between Jan and its lady went more and more narrowing, until finishing being surprised by Guillermo the Taciturn one. The adultery was punished with the capital punishment, but the performance of Doña Maria Pypelinx in this occasion was determining, obtaining that the capital punishment was exchanged by the jail, the payment of a considerable guarantee and exile. Jan left the prison and it settled with his in Siegen, near Colony, where Peter would be born Paul the 28 of June of 1577. The following year they were transferred Colony, once Jan was pardoned completely, city in the Rubens lived until the death of the family father, in 1589. Maria Pypelinx and its children would return soon after to Amberes, since no had embraced the calvinismo and nothing tied to them to the German city, settling in flamenco downtown where his grandfathers had prospered like phamacist. Small Peter Paul already had initiated his formation in the Catholic School and with the jesuitas in Colony, reason why it continued his studies in Amberes. It frequented the Latin School of Rombant Verdonck where it knew Balthasar Moretus and it was related to classic Greek and the Latins, but this academic formation lasted just a short time, since in the house of the Rubens it was not swum in the abundance and it was necessary to equip Blandine, the of marriageable age daughter. The familiar economic shortage would force that as much Philip - the older brother born in 1573- as Peter Paul left the studies and gained the life by their account. Philip obtained a seat of librarian in Rome, whereas Peter Paul was placed like paje to the service of countess Margarita of the Ligne d´Aremberg, widow of Felipe de Lalaing, in Oudenaarde. This experience would serve to him as base to learn the cortesanas ways that later will be to him so useful in their trips by Europe. But the young person Peter Paul does not want to remain long time in that servile office, reason why painter decides to become, although we do not know the reasons that took to this decision, aiming the own one You pound that "they did not have, in the beginning, another purpose that the one to le

he jesuitas in Colony, reason why it continued his studies in Amberes. It frequented the Latin School of Rombant Verdonck where it knew Balthasar Moretus and it was related to classic Greek and the Latins, but this academic formation lasted just a short time, since in the house of the Rubens it was not swum in the abundance and it was necessary to equip Blandine, the of marriageable age daughter. The familiar economic shortage would force that as much Philip - the older brother born in 1573- as Peter Paul left the studies and gained the life by their account. Philip obtained a seat of librarian in Rome, whereas Peter Paul was placed like paje to the service of countess Margarita of the Ligne d´Aremberg, widow of Felipe de Lalaing, in Oudenaarde. This experience would serve to him as base to learn the cortesanas ways that later will be to him so useful in their trips by Europe. But the young person Peter Paul does not want to remain long time in that servile office, reason why painter decides to become, although we do not know the reasons that took to this decision, aiming the own one You pound that "they did not have, in the beginning, another purpose that the one to learn it in vain". Its first artistic learning began towards 1591, being its teacher Tobias Veraecht, painter of landscapes with which as soon as it was time. The election of Veraecht as professor is quite surprising; the reason we must look for it in financial or familiar questions since he was a distant relative of Maria Pypelinx. Once left the factory of Veraecht, where it hardly remained a year, he was transferred to the factory of Adam van Noort, "habilísimo painter of figures" but of "abject and libertine conduct and brutal humor" reason why the young apprentice left his factory to be transferred to the one of Otto van Veen, one of the best active teachers then in Amberes and the one that influenced more in its youthful style, in addition to Holbein and Durero, whose engravings copied from early age. In 1598, with 21 years, Rubens finalizes its period of learning and surpasses the corresponding examination of teacher before the Guilda of San Lucas de Amberes, corporation in which it would be integrated like independent painter. Although the stay in the factory of Otto van Veen was not very fruitful for the young painter, Go Veen inculcó to its disciple the necessity to go to even Italy to make a second learning. Peter Paul undertook that trip the 9 of May of 1600 with the objective to extend his artistic formation, studying works of the Renaissance and the classic sculpture. He traveled in company of young called painter Deodato of Monte and his first shutdown was Venice, where it knew a mantuano nobleman whom it recommended to him to work in the cut of the Duke of Mantua, Vincenzo Gonzaga, peculiar protective sincere personage of the art and the artists for whose family or Tiziano, Mantegna or Roman Giulio had worked. In the cut of Mantua he will as much remain during almost nine years, serving to the Duke in artistic questions as diplomatic. In the summer of 1601 Rubens he is in Rome, where his brother was working Philip like librarian. The painting of Caravaggio calls its attention and Angel is interested specially in the Sistine Chapel painted by Miguel and the Stanzias de Rafael. In the Eternal City it has the first public opportunity to demonstrate his dowries like painter, since the decoration is in charge to him of a chapel of the church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme of Rome, church of which had been titular cardina