This is one of a series of six identically sized portraits of famous artists, executed by the Venetian artist Giuseppe Nogari in the early eighteenth century. The series was acquired by George III in 1762 as part of the collection of Joseph Smith, British Consul in Venice. Smith was a distinguished collector and connoisseur as well as a patron of contemporary artists, in particular of Canaletto. It is likely that the selection of artists (which also includes Veronese, Bassano, Cignani, Titian and Van Dyck) was governed by the works in Smith's own collection rather than simply the relative renown of the sitters. Collecting images of famous artists had become commonplace by the early eighteenth century and artists' portraits appeared in many of the greatest art collections in Europe.

The portrait of Rubens is based on the type engraved by Paulus Pontius in Van Dyck's Iconography (first published in 1645–6), a copy of which was known to have been in Smith's possession. Rubens is depicted in formal dress with a white collar and gold chain around his neck

Text adapted from Portrait of the Artist, London, 2016