In 1856, the 4th Marquess of Hertford purchased Peter Paul Rubens’ The Rainbow Landscape (c.1636). The painting was originally created alongside a sister-painting, A View of Het Steen (c.1636) which currently sits in the National Gallery, London. In June 2021, for the first time in over two hundred years, the two were reunited in a unique exhibition at the Wallace Collection titled Rubens: Reuniting the Great Landscapes, supported by VISITFLANDERS.

Painted as a companion pair, these sweeping panoramic works show Rubens’s newly acquired manor house and estate, Het Steen, at Elewijt (between Brussels and Antwerp) as it was in about 1636. They both celebrate the fertile countryside of Brabant and pay homage to the great Flemish tradition of landscape painting. The visitor to this exhibition had a unique opportunity to experience these great paintings together and be immersed in their wealth of detail and ambitious scale. The exhibition also involved a joint project between the National Gallery and the Wallace Collection enabling new, complementary frames to be created for the reunited pair of paintings. Since the original matching 17th-century frames would have been impossible to source, the Framing Department at the National Gallery crafted new frames based on a carefully chosen 17th-century prototype. The purpose-built frames were hand-carved and gilded using methods emulating 17th-century craftsmanship.

VISITFLANDERS’s support also allowed us to create a newly commissioned film by Street Films, which explored the two paintings with brand-new footage of Het Steen as it survives today. The film offered visitors an insight into how Rubens painted these masterpieces and revealed their subsequent journeys.

Peter De Wilde, Chief Executive of VISITFLANDERS, said:

“The timing of this unique exhibition at the Wallace Collection coincides with VISITFLANDERS’ purchase of the castle at Elewijt – also known as the ‘Rubens Castle’ – where Rubens chose to enjoy his retirement, and to continue to paint, for pleasure. The reunification of these two outstanding works of art, painted by Rubens and depicting the Flemish landscape surrounding his castle, has been a dream of art lovers for many years. This exhibition will uncover new facets into the life of this internationally renowned Flemish Master and will undoubtedly inspire visitors to travel and discover more about Rubens in his homeland, Flanders."

The exhibition also can be visited virtually, thanks to Vortic.

The Collection would also like to thank Marilyn and Lawrence Friedland, as well as James and Clare Kirkman for their support of this exhibition and related projects.