Peter Paul Rubens¿s extensive oeuvre comprises more than 1500 paintings, as well
as preparatory material such as drawings and oil sketches. As was customary at the
time, the master painter employed a multi-person workshop and his staff and pupils
were signi cantly involved in his artistic output. This collaborative working
process complicates the issue of attributing Rubens¿s work by today¿s standards of
single-handed execution. The publication highlights the procedures of the workshop
by examining the socio-historical circumstances and written sources, while the
preparatory process was assessed based on the case study of the high altarpiece of
the Augustinian Church in Antwerp. The drawings and sketches associated with the
creation of this painting were understood not only as evidence of creative processes
but also as the results of division of labor and Rubens¿s teaching practice.