Peter Paul Rubens purchased the country estate at Het Steen, near Brussels, in 1635, and resided there for the final five years of his life. He painted two famous landscapes – known by the titles of A View of Het Steen in the Early Morning, and The Rainbow Landscape – which were likely intended as companion pieces, showing together a panoramic view of the estate. The pendants remained in Rubens’ personal collection at his death in 1640, but after arriving in London in the 19th century they were separated, with Het Steen presented to the National Gallery in 1826 and The Rainbow Landscape at the Wallace Collection thirty years later. Now, an unprecedented loan from the National Gallery sees the two paintings reunited at the Wallace Collection upon its reopening, after renovations completed during the pandemic, on 3 June. The exhibition runs until 15 August; find out more from the Wallace Collection’s website.
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A View of Het Steen in the Early Morning (c. 1636), Peter Paul Rubens. Photo: © National Gallery
The Rainbow Landscape (c. 1636), Peter Paul Rubens. Photo: © Trustees of the Wallace Collection