Sir Peter Paul Rubens ( ROO-bənz; Dutch: [ˈpeːtər pʌul ˈrybəns]; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat. He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition. Rubens's highly charged compositions reference erudite aspects of classical and Christian history. His unique and immensely popular Baroque style emphasised movement, colour, and sensuality, which followed the immediate, dramatic artistic style promoted in the Counter-Reformation. Rubens was a painter producing altarpieces, portraits, landscapes, and history paintings of mythological and allegorical subjects. He was also a prolific designer of cartoons for the Flemish tapestry workshops and of frontispieces for the publishers in Antwerp.

Rubens was born and raised in the Holy Roman Empire (modern-day Germany) to parents who were refugees from Antwerp in the Duchy of Brabant in the Spanish Netherlands and moved to Antwerp at about 12. In addition to running a large workshop in Antwerp that produced paintings popular with nobility and art collectors throughout Europe, Rubens was a classically educated humanist scholar and diplomat who was knighted by both Philip IV of Spain and Charles I of England. Rubens was a prolific artist. The catalogue of his works by Michael Jaffé lists 1,403 pieces, excluding numerous copies made in his workshop.

His commissioned works were mostly history paintings, which included religious and mythological subjects, and hunt scenes. He painted portraits, especially of friends, and self-portraits, and in later life painted several landscapes. Rubens designed tapestries and prints, as well as his own house. He also oversaw the ephemeral decorations of the royal entry into Antwerp by the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria in 1635. He wrote a book with illustrations of the palaces in Genoa, which was published in 1622 as Palazzi di Genova. The book was influential in spreading the Genoese palace style in Northern Europe. Rubens was an avid art collector and had one of the largest collections of art and books in Antwerp. He was also an art dealer and is known to have sold important art objects to George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham.

He was one of the last major artists to make consistent use of wooden panels as a support medium, even for very large works, but used canvas as well, especially when the work needed to be sent a long distance. For altarpieces, he sometimes painted on slate to reduce reflection problems.

Peter Paul Rubens (Pieter Pauwel Rubens; 28. juuni 1577 Siegen, Vestfaal – 30. mai 1640 Antwerpen) oli flaami maalikunstnik.

Pieter Pauwel (Peter Paul) Rubens (28. kesäkuuta 1577 Siegen, Nassau-Dillenburg, Pyhä saksalais-roomalainen keisarikunta – 30. toukokuuta 1640 Antwerpen, Espanjan Alankomaat) oli flaamilainen taiteilija, jota pidetään yhtenä Euroopan suurimmista taidemaalareista. Hän oli barokin kuvataiteen pääedustajia.

Rubens oli elinaikanaan hyvin menestyksekäs taiteilija. Muotokuvamaalarina hän oli niin suosittu, että joutui palkkaamaan joukon apulaisia ateljeehensa. Hänen pääavustajansa Antoon van Dyck kehittyi itsekin merkittäväksi taiteilijaksi.

Rubens tunnetaan erityisesti alastomista, nykykäsityksen mukaan ylipainoisista naisistaan, joiden iho on kuvattu erittäin elävästi. Rubensin aistilliseen ja elämäniloiseen tyyliin vaikuttivat italialaiset taiteilijat, etenkin Tizian. Työt olivat tyypillistä barokkitaidetta. Hän maalasi myös maisemia ja muotokuvia.

Den flamske målaren Peter Paul Rubens var si tids mest berømte nordeuropeiske kunstnar, og no er han ein av dei mest respekterte målarane i vestleg kunsthistorie.

Far hans vart forfølgd for den protestantiske, kalvinistiske overtydinga si, og etter hans død vart sonen jamvel oppdregen som katolikk. Denne konflikten kom til å prege kunsten hans.

Rubens sin kunst er prega av kjærleiken hans for monumentale former og dynamiske effektar. Mest kjem det fram i verka hans frå 1620-åra, mellom anna ein syklus beståande av 21 bilete over livet til Marie de Medici. I dag kan ein sjå desse bileta i Louvre i Paris.

Det siste tiåret av livet hans vende han seg mot portrett og landskap. Verka hans var ikkje lenger så dramatiske, men dei atterspegla den meisterlege kontrollen av detaljar og tekniske ferdigheiter.

Peter Paul Rubens (nederländskt uttal: [ˈrybəns]; även Pieter Paul eller Pieter Pauwel), född 28 juni 1577 i Siegen i Westfalen, död 30 maj 1640 i Antwerpen, var en flamländsk målare, tecknare, grafiker och diplomat. Han var huvudsak verksam i Antwerpen.