(After) Anthony Van Dyck

Anthony van Dyck, Engraving Ernest de Mansfeld, c. 1654, Portrait, Iconographie

circa 1654

Sir Anthony van Dyck (22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter for Charles I of England. Sir Anthony Van Dyck was born in the Netherlands and painted from an early age becoming a successful independent painter in his late teens, and a master in the Antwerp Guild in 1618. He painted in the studio of Peter Paul Rubens who became a major influence on his work. Van Dyck worked in London for some months in 1621, then returned to Flanders and travelled to Italy, where he stayed until 1627, mostly in Genoa. He spent five years in Flanders after his return from Italy, and was court painter for the archduchess Isabella, Habsburg Governor of Flanders. In 1632 he returned to London to become the main court painter to Charles I of England. After Holbein, van Dyck and his contemporary Diego Valezquez were the first painters of pre-eminent to work mainly as court portraitists, revolutionising the genre. Van Dyck is best known for his portraits of the royals and aristocracy, most notably Charles I, and his family and associates. Van Dyck widely influenced English portrait painting for the next 150 years. His portrait style changed considerably between the different countries he worked in, culminating in the relaxed elegance of his last English period. His influence extends into the modern period. During his lifetime, Charles I granted him a knighthood, and after his death Van Dyck was buried in St Paul’s Cathedral, an indication of his high standing at the time of his death.