The great Flemish painter gained both fame and success during his lifetime. He lived in luxury and was unusually prolific: Rubens left behind a countless number of paintings. Sovereigns from different countries vied with each other to order his portrait and decorate the walls of their palaces with series of his paintings. Communicating with the powers that be, Rubens also proved himself to be a brilliant diplomat, skillfully carrying out the will of his overlords. A biography written by M.-A. Lecourt, among other things, is distinguished from other works dedicated to Rubens by his brilliant knowledge of the era and excellent ability to convincingly tell not only about the artist’s work, but also about his life, in which politics occupied a significant place.