Max Rooses

Max Rooses (1839-1914) was a Belgian museum curator, literary critic, and author. He is best known for his extensive studies of the life and works of Peter Paul Rubens.

Rooses was born in Antwerp. He served as the curator of the Plantin-Moretus Museum in Antwerp from 1876 until his death. Under his leadership, the museum became a major center for the study of printing history and Flemish art.

Rooses published numerous books and articles on Rubens, including a multi-volume catalog raisonné of the artist's oeuvre and a biography. His scholarship played a significant role in establishing Rubens' reputation as one of the most important painters of the Baroque period. He also contributed significantly to the understanding of other Flemish masters and the history of Antwerp.

His major works include:

• Rubens, sa Vie et ses Œuvres (1886)
• L'Oeuvre de P.P. Rubens: Histoire et Description de ses Tableaux et Dessins (5 volumes, 1886-1892)
• Jacob Jordaens: His Life and Work (1908)

Rooses was a respected figure in the art world and received numerous honors for his contributions to scholarship. He is considered a key figure in the development of art historical scholarship in Belgium.