"One of the most versatile and influential artists of northern Europe in the seventeenth century, Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) had a remarkable ability to bring his paintings intensely and joyfully alive. He was a successful businessman who ran an efficient studio to meet the great demand for his work, and was also a classical scholar, an enthusiastic collector of art and antiquities, and a respected diplomat on intimate terms with European royalty. Contemporaries admired his extraordinary artistic versatility. His paintings range from altarpieces, portraits and landscapes to elaborate cycles of myths and allegories; he also designed tapestries, book illustrations and even his own home." "In this study, Kristin Lohse Belkin shows that there is more to Rubens than the Rubenesque nude. She explores his techniques and workshop practices, the role of women in his life and art, and his engagement with contemporary issues of church and state. She unravels the allegorical and iconographic content of key works, situating them within their original settings and investigating their functions. Drawing on his extensive correspondence, she traces his involvement in the events of his time and charts his relationship with members of his circle."--Jacket.