#emdiplomat of the day: Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)
Peter Paul Rubens is known for his paintings and his #art, however, he is less known for his diplomatic activities. Although he was no exception, many #earlymodern artists were involved in #emdiplomacy in addition to their artistry, or actually more precisely because of it. (1/6)
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#Rubens was the son of Flemish refugees in the #HRE. He was born in #Siegen in 1577. Later his family moved back to #Antwerp. Rubens received a humanist education. In 1592 he began his apprenticeship as an artist which he concluded six years later. Between 1600 and 1608 he stayed in #Italy. During this time, in 1603, he was dispatched on his first diplomatic mission. On the commission of the Duke of #Gonzaga, he handed over gifts to king Philip III of #Spain. However, he used his stay there to deepen and refine his artistic skills through studying the royal art collection. (2/6)
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After his return to #Antwerp in 1609, #Rubens was appointed #court painter of Albert VII of #Austria and his wife Isabella Clara Eugenia of #Spain, the sovereigns of the #Habsburg #Netherlands. However, he once again combined his artistic activities with #emdiplomacy.
During his stay in #Paris due to his work on the #Medici cycle he also collected (secret) information, a core tasks of all #diplomats, thus acting as “noble spy” as #emdiplomats also were called. (3/6)
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Between 1623 and 1629 #Rubens was repeatedly involved in diplomatic activities. Isabella of #Spain made use of his standing and popularity as an artist to pursue inofficial #emdiplomacy. By sending her #court painter she expanded her scope of action without being bound by formal ceremonies, alliances or Spanish politics. In the secret negotiations that Isabella conducted in the #Netherlands against the wishes of the Spanish King Philip IV, Rubens operated within a network of personal, family and business relationships. On the one hand, this facilitated diplomatic exchange, as there were no regular diplomatic relations between #Brussels and #TheHague, and on the other, it ensured the necessary secrecy towards the Spanish court. However, the attempts of concluding #peace between the different parts of the Netherlands failed. (4/6)
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After the goal of negotiating #peace between the southern and northern #Netherlands in secret proved unattainable, #Rubens became involved in the efforts to bring about a peace treaty between #Spain and #England from 1627. On behalf of Archduchess Isabella, Rubens made contact with the art agent of the Duke of #Buckingham who later also entered the service of the English king. Rubens met him under the guise of #art business and artist visits. The aim was to persuade the United Provinces of the Netherlands to make peace through peace between Spain and England. In preparation for the negotiations in England, Rubens was now officially installed as a #emdiplomat; he travelled to #Madrid, where he was not appointed #envoy, which his low rank did not allow, but negotiator. The Spanish king awarded him the title of 'Secretary of the Privy Council of the Netherlands'. (5/6)
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The #peace negotiations conducted by #Rubens in #London in 1629/30, which resulted in the peace treaty between #Spain and #England, marked the peak of Rubens's diplomatic career. Although he was not allowed to sign the peace treaty himself - a high-ranking Spanish envoy, Don Carlos Coloma, was sent from #Madrid to London especially for this purpose in 1630 - Rubens was knighted by King Charles I of England at the farewell audience. On the one hand, the example of Rubens shows how strongly #emdiplomacy was tied to rank and ceremonial, but at the same time how dependent it was on informal actors and scopes of action in order to function. The meaning of informality for #earlymodern #diplomacy is discussed in a special issue of the journal FrühneuzeitInfo, edited by Elisabeth Lobenwein and Eva Ortlieb:
(6/6)
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Early Modern Diplomacy
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