Many famous painters worked in Antwerp during the city’s period of greatest power but Peter Paul Rubens is undoubtedly the most famous one of them. Known as Rubens House, the palace-like residence(大宅) and studio where Rubens worked and lived from 1616 until his death in 1640 is now one of Antwerp’s most visited museums.

Almost all of the works Rubens and his students created in the Rubens House have been dispersed (分散) over major museums across the whole world, but there is still an impressive collection well worth the visit. Besides paintings form the master himself you will find other works of art and furniture of the 17th century as well as paintings from his students, including works by Jacob Jordaens and Anthony Van Dyck.

The Rubens House was not only a studio but also a meeting place for the rich and famous. His clients(委托人) included wealthy merchants, diplomats, and there were also many noblemen who often visited his studio to see how work progressed. The Rubens House even had a special viewing area which allowed visitors to see the artists at work.

Ruben bought the house at the beginning of the 17th century after his eight-year-long stay in Italy. Influenced by Italian architecture, he rebuilt the building into an Italian-styled palace with a beautiful garden and moved in the house in1616.

After his death the building was sold. New owners modified the building greatly and by 1937, when the building was purchased by the city of Antwerp, it hardly resembled the original structure.

The impressive entrance hall, which connected the studio and the residence, is one of the few parts that survived. Other parts have been carefully restored and reconstructed after original plans and paintings of the house.

小题1:As a museum, the Rubens House is popular because _______.

A．it lies in the famous city of Antwerp

B．it holds all the works by Rubens and his students

C．there are many people who enjoy visiting it

D．Rubens, a great artist, lived and worked there小题2:We can learn from the third paragraph that _______.

A．the Rubens House was popular with upper-class people

B．the Rubens House was the best studio in its time

C．Rubens’s students included noblemen and diplomats

D．people were not allowed to view the artists working小题3:What can be inferred from the text?

A．Thanks to its great painters, Antwerp became a rich city.

B．Ruben possibly showed strong interest in Italian buildings.

C．Antwerp must be a historical city in Italy.

D．The Rubens House was completely rebuilt before 1937.小题4:Which of the following is TRUE, according to the text?

A．Rubens created his works by working with his students.

B．A beautiful garden was added to the Rubens House by new owners.

C．The Rubens House is decorated with furniture of the 17th century.

D．Today’s Rubens House looks like its original structure.