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Charlotte Mason Picture Study Aid Peter Paul Rubens

Peter Paul Rubens

from “Rubens,” Little Journeys To The Homes Of Eminent Painters by Elbert Hubbard

Little Peter Paul was a handsome lad—handsome as his father—

with big, dark brown eyes and clustering curls. He was bright,

intelligent, and blessed with a cheerful, obliging disposition. He came

into the world a welcome child, carrying the beauty of the morning in
his face, and form, and spirit.

No wonder is it that the Countess de Lalaing desired the boy for

a page as soon as she saw him. His mother embraced the opportunity to
let her favorite child see court life, and so at the early age of twelve, at a

Painter plunge, he began that career in polite diplomacy that was to continue for

half a century.
Birth: June 28, 1577 The Countess called herself his "other mother," and lavished

Siegen, Nassau- upon him all the attention that a childless woman had to bestow. The

Dillenburg, Holy mornings were sacred to his lessons, which were looked after by a Jesuit
Roman Empire (now priest; and in the afternoon, another priest came to give the ladies

North Rhine- lessons in the languages, and at these circles young Peter Paul was always

Westphalia, present as one of the class.

Germany) Indeed, the earliest accomplishment of Peter Paul was his
polyglot ability. When he arrived at Antwerp, a mere child, he spoke

Death: May 30, 1640 German, Flemish and French.

Antwerp, Spanish Such a favorite did little Peter Paul become with his "other

Netherlands (now mother," and her ladies of the court, that his sure-enough mother grew a
Belgium) bit jealous, and feared they would make a hothouse plant of her boy, and

so she took him away.

Style: Baroque The question was, for what profession should he be educated?

That he should serve the Church and State was already a settled fact in

the mother's mind: to get on in the world you must cultivate and wisely serve those who are in
power—that is, those who have power to bestow. Priests were plentiful as blackberries, and

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