Newly Discovered

In 2020, Rubenshuis in Antwerp announced their latest Newly Discovered: the earliest known individual self-portrait by Rubens. The painting is a preparatory study for a now lost canvas.

Peter Paul Rubens, Self-Portrait, ca. 1604

Peter Paul Rubens, The Virgin and Christ Child, with St. Elizabeth and St John the Baptist, (c. 1618)

In 2019, a New York art dealer learned of a painting owned by a local family. The piece was last displayed in 1951 as a replica of Rubens. It turned out to beThe Virgin and Christ Child, with St. Elizabeth and St John the Baptist (ca. 1618) by Rubens. It was sold at Sotheby’s New York.

In 2018, a Belgian private collector found an anonymous oil sketch. It was later authenticated as a Rubens original. Its title isThe Secular Hierarchy in Worship (ca. 1625), it is believed to be a preparatory sketch for the large scale tapestry commissioned for the Franciscan convent of the Descalzas Reales, Madrid.

Peter Paul Rubens, The Secular Hierarchy in Worship, c. 1625

Peter Paul Rubens, Study of a Horse with Rider, c. 1610

In 2016, Study of a Horse with Rider (ca. 1610) was authenticated. The drawing was previously attributed to a follower of Anthony van Dyck. It was auctioned at Sotheby’s in 2017.

In 2015, the Rubenshuis in Antwerp pronounced Portrait of a Young Girl, possibly Clara Serena Rubens (ca. 1620 - 23) an authentic Rubens. For many years it was considered a copy. It was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1960 where it was catalogued as a copy of Rubens.. However, it has since been reattributed to be a Rubens. It was was included in the 2015 Rubens exhibition, Rubens in Private: the Master Portrays his Family.

Peter Paul Rubens, Portrait of a Young Girl, possibly Clara Serena Rubens , c. 1620 - 23

Peter Paul Rubens, Portrait of a Young Girl, possibly Clara Serena Rubens, c. 1620 - 23

While at the National Museum of Art Architecture and Design in Oslo, a visitor noticed a painting of The Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus (1610 – 1611) with an unknown attribution. Years ago, it had been declared a copy of Rubens, After further research it was considered authentic and shown in a Rubens retrospective exhibition by The Royal Academy of Art, London in 2015.