“Even four hundred years after he walked its streets, finding a place in Antwerp redolent of Peter Paul Rubens is no problem. He remains a ubiquitous presence in his home town, from the central Groenplaats, commanded by a larger-than-life statue of the painter, to the house and workshop that he designed for himself, now a museum. His paintings of swooning heroes and sultry maidens, are to be found in any number of churches and galleries. All of these places are worth visiting, but if I were to choose a favorite spot it might be Kloosterstraat, a quiet winding lane that the Rubens family lived on during his adolescence.

Although the cloister that gave the street its name is no longer there, it is still a street Rubens would very much recognize, a charming street of modest homes, beautifully kept. The best part: it is today lined with antique dealers of all kinds: furniture, books, and ephemera. It’s only fitting, for Rubens, among his many careers and passions, was a distinguished collector of antiquities in his own right. A highlight of any trip to Antwerp.”

A gripping tale of 17th-century Europe and Ruben’s double life as a secret agent, diplomat and daring political operative, Master of Shadows,The Secret Diplomatic Career of the Painter Peter Paul Rubens, ranges from Ruben’s hometown of Antwerp to London, Madrid, Paris and Rome. Mark Lamster is a writer on architecture, design, and the arts, currently at work on a biography of the late architect Philip Johnson.