Sir Peter Paul Rubens 1577-1640 Peter Rubens was a Flemish Baroque painter of portraits, landscapes and history paintings of mythological and allegorical subjects. Rubens completed his education in 1598 and entered the Guild of St. Luke as an independent master.  In 1600, he went to Italy, where he worked as a court painter to the duke of Mantua. He studied ancient Roman art and learned by copying the works of the Italian masters. His mature style was profoundly influenced by Titian.  He had a studio in Antwerp which produced paintings popular with nobility and art collectors throughout Europe