Spectacular Rubens

This lavishly illustrated volume offers a fascinating glimpse into Ruben's artistic process. The six glorious scenes that make up the Triumph of the Eucharist series by Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) are highlights of the Museo Nacional del Prado's superb collection of Remish paintings. Completed in 1626, these brilliantly detailed sketches were painted at the behest of the Infanta Isabel Clara Eugenia in preparation for a series of monumental tapestries that are now considered among the finest made in Europe in the 17th-century. Unfortunately, additions to the wooden supports, introduced after the paintings were created, made the panels considerably larger than Rubens intended and over time caused serious damage to the original sections. With the aid of the Getty Foundation's Panel Paintings Initiative, the panels have been restored and returned to their original dimensions by the Prado, and the magnificent oil sketches can once again be placed on public view. This exquisitely illustrated volume provides new insight into the history of the Eucharist series of paintings and tapestries and attests to Rubens' exhilarating art.