Unknown cabinetmaker and Victor Wolfvoet II, Cabinet

Whether this cabinet had a place in Rubens’s own home remains to be seen. However, many of the painted scenes on the cabinet doors are inspired by Rubens’s oeuvre, like the two Greek mythical figures, Meleager and Atalanta, depicted on the lid during the hunt for the Calydonian boar.

The hunt was a success because Meleager is seen presenting the boar’s head to Atalanta on the right front door. Roman and Greek mythology often were a source of inspiration for these kinds of cabinets, also known as ‘cantoren’. Most of them came from Antwerp. In the 17th century, the city became the most important international manufacturing centre for these cabinets.

These cabinets were shipped to different countries out of Antwerp, which is why they had to be able to withstand major temperature swings and high humidity. That is why they were often glued with ebony, and the scenes were painted on copper. The Antwerp cabinets, in particular, stood out because of their opulent decoration.

These cabinets were made of precious types of wood and came in different sizes, from more discreet table models to statement pieces of furniture. But they were always ingeniously designed, with many drawers and hidden compartments. Collectors like Rubens used them to store smaller pieces of art and unique collectables such as ancient coins and carvings and even shells and jewellery. This explains why they are called ‘cabinets of curiosities’.