In 1946, the Rubens House opened its doors as a museum following an extensive restoration led by the city’s chief architect, Emiel Van Averbeke (1876–1946). Van Averbeke ensured that all authentic elements of the house, studio and garden were meticulously documented and carefully restored. The numerous photographs taken during this time aided in this process. These glass plate images not only bear witness to Van Averbeke’s ambitious restoration campaign but also provide us with a glimpse into the condition of the house and garden prior to the commencement of the restoration efforts.
This is the Italian pavilion that Rubens himself designed for his own garden. Thanks to this picture, we know that the garden pavilion originally housed Ceres, the goddess of harvest. The glass plate shows her on the left. During Van Averbeke's restoration, the Ceres statue was no longer present and it was decided to make a new Ceres statue. When sculptor Willy Kreitz had made the model for the statue in plaster, the order was cancelled because the study committee was convinced that the statue that stood in the pavilion at the time of Rubens did not represent Ceres, but Venus. It was then decided to have a Venus statue made by the same sculptor.
Source: Unknown, Date unknown, Italian pavilion, Rubenshuis, Copyright protection not determined