Ha Noi

This magnificent painting by Peter Paul Rubens remains the largest surviving work by the Flemish artist still in its original location in Europe. It was commissioned in 1629 by Charles I, although Rubens had originally been approached about the project by James I before the King died in 1625. The subject of the painting discussed was to be a celebration of the magnificent reign of the Stuart king. In anticipation of the commissioned painting, Inigo Jones, the architect of the Banqueting House, had designed a great beamed ceiling with blank squares, rectangles and ovals, ready to take enormous decorated canvases.