Peter Paul Rubens

Rubens's paintings use movement, dramatic bodies, rich color, and large-scale compositions typical of the Baroque. Works such as The Elevation of the Cross were made in Antwerp in the early 17th century.

Yes, Rubens worked as a diplomat for rulers in the Spanish Netherlands. He traveled to courts in places such as Madrid and London while maintaining a major painting workshop.

Rubens ran a large workshop in Antwerp with assistants and collaborators. Anthony van Dyck, later a famous court portraitist in England, worked with Rubens early in his career.

The Marie de' Medici Cycle is a large group of paintings Rubens made for the French queen Marie de' Medici. It was commissioned for the Luxembourg Palace in Paris in the 1620s.