Nessus and Dejanira

1627–1630

Diplomatic Missions between Spain and England

Rubens was active as a diplomat, shuttling between the courts of Spain and England in an effort to achieve peace between the Catholic Spanish Netherlands and the Protestant Dutch Republic; he also made several trips to Holland.

1628–1629

Eight Months in Madrid, Friendship with Velázquez

During an eight-month stay in Madrid, Rubens, in addition to diplomatic negotiations, executed important works for Philip IV, studied and copied Titian anew, and became friends with the court painter Diego Velázquez.

1629 – April 1630

Diplomatic Journey to London

After a brief stay in Antwerp, Rubens traveled to London, where he remained until April 1630, continuing the peace negotiations between Spain and England.

1630

Marriage to Helena Fourment

Four years after the death of Isabella Brant, the 53-year-old Rubens married the 16-year-old Helena Fourment; she became the artist's muse and the inspiration for the sensuous figures in many of his paintings of the 1630s, including The Three Graces and The Judgment of Paris.

1630

Knighted by Charles I

King Charles I of England knighted Rubens, adding a heraldic lion to his personal coat of arms; a few months later Philip IV confirmed his knightly status.

6 December 1630

Married: Helena Fourment