Rubens Notebook Sheet with Letter Draft Debuts in Antwerp

A double-sided page from Peter Paul Rubens's Roman notebook, dated September 1607, has gone on public display for the first time at the Rubens Experience in Antwerp. The sheet features a quill-testing squiggle, a sketch of three apostles, and a draft letter to artist Cristoforo Roncalli on behalf of patron Eleonora de' Medici. Acquired at TEFAF Maastricht by the King Baudouin Foundation for €110,000 ($121,100), the work is on long-term loan to the Rubenshuis. It will remain at the Rubens Experience until renovations on the Rubenshuis are completed, expected by 2030 at the earliest. The letter reveals Rubens's diplomatic skill as he urged Roncalli to finish a painting for the duchess's private chapel. Rubens had moved to Rome in 1606 from Mantua, living near the Spanish Steps with his brother Philip. The Rubenshuis holds only two drawings and ten letters from the artist, all from later periods, making this acquisition significant for understanding his early practice and network.