Compact and accessible, this book is the perfect introduction to Rubens' links with Britain through the example of a single astonishing painting, the initial sketch for the ceiling. Wholly sketched in Rubens' hand, it is rich in allegorical detail unfamiliar to twenty-first-century viewers but explained succinctly in the text. Demonstrating Rubens' remarkable fluidity and freedom of invention, this work also exemplifies his role as diplomatic envoy to Britain and his position as the quintessential artist of his age.