Who is the mysterious artist Michaelina Wautier?

Michaelina Wautier (c. 1614-1689) was a colourful figure in the Southern Netherlands, an artist who enjoyed defying societal norms in 17th-century Brussels. This Dutch-language talk by Charlotte Roosen, who is co-curating the upcoming Viennese exhibition on Wautier, offers a perfect opportunity to discover new insights about the artist’s life and work.  

Wautier’s intriguing oeuvre – which spans everything from still lifes and portraits to allegories and history paintings – surpasses that of many female artists as well as that of her male contemporaries. The monumental ‘Triumph of Bacchus’ was incorrectly attributed to Rubens’ pupils until the 1960s, even though it was Wautier who painted this meticulous representation of nude male figures. These days, you can view this iconic work at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.  

Interestingly, Michaelina Wautier’s life and training continue to be shrouded in mystery despite expanding scholarship. In the margin of the upcoming exhibition in Vienna, additional analyses shed new light on her intellectual environment, including her knowledge of Roman sculpture. Did she travel to Italy with her brother Charles, who was also a painter, or did she have access to Brussels collections of antiquities? And how does she relate to contemporaries like Rubens, who studied the art of antiquity? Find out more during this captivating lecture (in Dutch).   

The Viennese exhibition on Michaelina Wautier runs from 30 September 2025 to 22 February 2026.  

Charlotte Roosen is Scientific Assistant Curator for Flemish Baroque Painting at the Gemäldegalerie of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. She co-curated the Viennese exhibition and publication dedicated to the Brussels-based artist Michaelina Wautier. She also conducts research at the University of Cologne. Her research focuses on the influence of ancient sculpture and the knowledge of the natural world on the still-life and animal painting of Rubens and his contemporaries.  

When?

Sunday 7 December 2025   

• 10.50 am: doors open  

• 11.00 am: start  

• 12.00 am: end  

Venue 

Rubenshuis, Hopland 13, 2000 Antwerpen

Price (garden ticket is included)

Important 

• The lecture is in Dutch 

• Seating provided 

• The talk will be given in the Burchard Room of Kolveniershof (entrance through Hopland 13). Please note that this venue is accessible only by stairs and is therefore not suitable for wheelchair users or visitors with reduced mobility.  

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