The exhibition tour begins on a fascinating note. We enter an artist’s studio scene – a reconstruction of Rubens’ own workshop. There’s a desk, books, busts, and, on the other side, an easel. And here comes the exciting part – especially for kids – you get to see how colors looked back then and how they were mixed.

Then, we move on to what is, for me, the true highlight: “The Dying Seneca” – also known as The Death of Seneca. You can also see a version of it at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, as there are two versions. But in Barcelona, we’re looking at the one from the Prado Museum – in fact, all the artworks on display here come from the Prado.

Seneca was a Roman philosopher, playwright, and statesman. He was accused of being part of a conspiracy against Emperor Nero, who then ordered him to take his own life. Seneca obeyed… or at least tried to. He opened the veins in his arms, and then in his legs. But the process took so long that he is said to have continued discussing philosophy with his friends in the meantime. Allegedly, he also took poison to speed things up. Eventually, he was placed in a warm bath and likely suffocated from the steam.

What we see here is the moment where he is already bleeding, standing in the tub. A man supports his arm, a young scribe writes down his final wise words, and soldiers are present, likely to report back to Nero. Seneca’s gaze is serious, composed, and slightly introspective. Despite the physical agony, his expression is dignified – as if he is fully aware of his fate and accepts it willingly. His eyes are slightly open, looking upward, conveying a sense of inner peace, surrender, and spiritual transcendence.

The entire scene is dramatically staged, with powerful contrasts between light and shadow.

The “Judgment of Paris” from the Prado illustrates the mythological story told by Ovid, in which Paris is asked to choose the most beautiful goddess. It all begins when the goddess of discord throws a golden apple into the crowd at a wedding, with the challenge that it should go to the fairest. This sparks a quarrel between the goddesses Juno, Minerva, and Venus. Mercury, unwilling to choose, passes the apple to Paris. He selects Venus, who promises him Helen of Troy — and this ultimately triggers the Trojan War.

King Philip IV of Spain personally commissioned the painting from Rubens in 1638–39. Although the king’s brother considered it one of the artist’s finest works, the sensual depiction of the goddesses was met with some criticism. In 1639, the painting was sent to Madrid, to the Palacio del Buen Retiro, and later became part of the Prado Museum’s collection.