Book excerpt: Peter Paul Rubens was one of the most inventive and prolific artists in the history of western art. After his early training in Antwerp, Rubens spent formative periods in Italy between 1600 and 1608. This book explores the ways in which Rubens studied, copied, and adapted the work of artists such as Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian. A large group of drawings by Italian artists, many of which were owned by Rubens and extensively transformed by him, are illustrated. These works show how Ruben's dialogue with Italian art went far beyond mere imitation and how his copies and adaptations attracted the attention of scholars and collectors from his lifetime onwards. The intriguing book has been written by one of the foremost Rubens scholars, Jeremy Wood, lecturer in the history of art at the University of Nottingham. 21 colour & 78 b/w illustrations