Arnout Balis collection

As a prominent Rubens expert and the driving force behind the Corpus Rubenianum, Arnout Balis (1952-2021) maintained an extensive work archive. His personal notes constitute a treasure trove of unpublished thoughts and ideas about Rubens's work.

Arnout Balis, who hailed from Brussels, studied art history and archaeology at Ghent University, specialising in Flemish early modern painting. From 1986, he collaborated on the Corpus Rubenianum, of which he became editor-in-chief in 2007. As the driving force behind the Centrum Rubenianum, he was a co-founder of the Rubenianum Fund, which was established in 2010 to secure the funding needed for the completion of this project. 

Professor Arnout Balis devoted his life to Rubens. Like the artist, he loved knowledge and information. His immense book collection was a reflection of his wide-ranging interests. History, religion, literature, art, psychology, nature or philosophy: Arnout's hunger for knowledge and new perspectives was insatiable. After his sudden death in 2021, we made a selection from his books with his family to complement the library collection of the Rubenshuis, adding 880 titles or 25 metres of bookshelves to the collection, which are now permanently preserved for the Rubens researchers of the future. 

Balis was one of the greatest connoisseurs of Peter Paul Rubens, sharing his passion with abandon. He used a blue BIC pen to write his book reviews, insights, recollections of conversations, impressions of artworks, and critical comments on flimsy sheets of recycled paper. These were also preserved and constitute an additional treasure trove of unpublished thoughts and ideas on top of his many official publications.