Rubens, Peter Paul (Siegen 1577 – Antwerp 1640). Saint Ambrose. In full array with tiara and crosier amidst a numerous, partly armoured group. Steel engraving by I. Hahn. 3rd quarter of the 19th century. Inscribed: Belvedere. / P. P. Rubens pinxt. / I. Hahn sc., otherwise in German as above. 21.3 x 14.2 cm.
“ famous Doctor of the Church, born about 340 at Treves as son of a Roman Prefectus Pretorio (Galliarum as one ‘of the highest of Roman public offices’), was administrator in Rome until the governorship of Upper Italy was conferred on him. Though not yet baptized he had to accept the election for bishop of Milan in 374 … his differentiation of the general and the perfect duties, among which he e.g. reckoned celibacy, is of influence … by his choral poetry he became
the father of Latin hymnology .”
(Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 4th ed., I (1889), 449 f.).
Died April 4, 397, and – so the Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (Bautz Verlag, 2002, with besides “about 333, probably also only 340”, another source deems 339 as possible, as year of birth) continuing
“ the first (of the) four great Doctors of the (catholic) Church ,
the most important
occidental prelate and preacher of the 4th century “,
descending from one “of the oldest noble families of Rome”.
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