The Antwerp Roots and the Roman Shift Antwerp, 1616. The son of Antonius Goubau and Livina Cornet enters a world of established tradition. By 1629, the young painter begins his formal training under Johannes de Vargas. The path is set. He moves through the local guild, becoming a master of the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke by 1636 or 1637. But the local scene is only a prelude. After a brief appearance in Paris in 1642, the trajectory shifts toward Italy. He arrives in Rome in 1644, a period that defines his visual language. In the shadow of Roman ruins, he finds the Bamboccianti. This circle o…