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Rubens on a stamp printed c. 1965, Belgium, 100th anniversary of the Post Office Savings Bank, photo by Lefpap /Bigstock.com
Date of Birth: 28 June, 1577
Place of Birth: Siegen, Nassau-Dillenburg, Holy Roman Empire (now North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany)
Date of Death: 30 May, 1640
Place of Death: Antwerp, Spanish Netherlands (now Belgium)
Ethnicity: Flemish
Peter Paul Rubens was a Flemish artist and diplomat. He was noted as the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition. He lived during the Dutch Golden Age, in the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands, now Belgium.
Peter Paul was born in Siegen, Nassau-Dillenburg, Holy Roman Empire, the son of Maria Pypelinckx/Pypelincks and Jan Rubens. His father was born in Antwerp, and was a lawyer and city administrator of Antwerp. His mother was born in Kuringen, and was a writer. Both cities are now in Belgium. His father was a Calvinist, and left Antwerp for Cologne. At the time, the Habsburg Netherlands was ruled by Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba, a Spanish, Catholic, who persecuted Protestants in the area.
Peter Paul’s father was for a time a legal adviser of Anna of Saxony, who was then Princess consort of Orange, as the wife of William I of Orange, then Prince of Orange. His father settled in the court in Siegen. His father and Anna had an affair, and were believed to have had a daughter together in 1571; this ended Anna and William’s marriage. Peter Paul was then born in 1577 in Siegen from his father’s marriage to Maria, and was raised mostly in Cologne. After his father died in 1589, Peter Paul was raised by his mother in Antwerp, and at that point was raised Catholic. His brother was antiquarian, librarian, philologist, and city administrator Philip Rubens.
Peter Paul was married to Isabella Brant/Brandt, until her death; and then to Helena Fourment, until his death. He had three children with Isabella, and five children with Helena. He painted both of his wives, as well as Helena’s sister in “Portrait of Susanna Lunden.” Among his children with Isabella were Nicolaas Rubens, Lord of Rameyen, and philologist and scholar of antiquity Albert Rubens. Among Peter Paul and Helena’s grandchildren was noble man Alexander Rubens, Lord of Vremdyck. Peter Paul is a direct ancestor of American actress Chiara Aurelia (b. 2002), several times over. Peter Paul is Chiara’s ancestor through both of his wives.
Peter Paul’s paternal grandfather was Bartholomeus/Bartholomaeus Peter Rubens (the son of Peter Rubens and Margaretha van Looveren). Peter Paul’s great-grandfather Peter was the son of Peter Rubens/Robyns and Agnes Lodewijk Lans. Margaretha was the daughter of Jan van Looveren and Barbara de Meijere.
Peter Paul’s paternal grandmother was Barbara Lambert Arend/Arents Spierinck (the daughter of Lambert Arnoud Spierinckx and Catharina de Bisschop, van Boutershem). Barbara was born in Antwerp. Lambert was the son of Arnoud Spierinckx.
Peter Paul’s maternal grandfather was Hendrik Jan Hendrik Pypelincx/Pypelinckx (the son of Jan Hendrik Jan Pypelincx and Maria Anton Hendrik Typoets). Peter Paul’s grandfather Hendrik was born in Kuringen. Peter Paul’s great-grandfather Jan was the son of Hendrik Jan Pypelincx. Maria was the daughter of Anton Hendrik Jan Typoets, who was born in Ghent, and of Beater van Beele.
Peter Paul’s maternal grandmother was Clara/Claire Tolinc/Tolyns/Touion (the daughter of Jan Nicolaas Damas Tolincx and Mechteld Nicolaas van Aalteren). Jan was the son of Nicolaas Damas Hendrik Tolincx and Margaretha Jan Boudewijn van Pollaer de Vos, who was born in Mechelen.
Source: Genealogy of Peter Paul Rubens – https://www.geni.com