What illness affected Peter Paul Rubens during his final years?

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Peter Paul Rubens: self-portrait — Peter Paul Rubens Peter Paul Rubens, self-portrait in oil, c. 1638; in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

During his final years, Peter Paul Rubens suffered from frequent, incapacitating attacks of gout, which was likely arthritis. Despite these severe health struggles, he continued to accept various artistic commissions until his death in May 1640.1