The Artists

Anthony van Dyck
Dandies, divas, and cavalier style

Portrait of Anthony van Dyck

Trained in art, Trained in Flattery

Flattery will get you far, and Anthony Van Dyck learned to schmooze from the best. Van Dyck began painting in Peter Paul Rubens’ studio in 1613. Van Dyck was 14, but quickly became the master’s right hand. He followed Rubens’s example in his schooling as well, spending six years traveling through Italy and absorbing the styles and techniques of the Renaissance Masters like Titian and Veronese. Van Dyck took his mentor’s professionalism to the next level as well. Giovanni Bellori, a historian and contemporary of Van Dyke’s, described him cutting an impressive figure with fine clothes and entourage: “…his behavior was that of a nobleman rather than an ordinary person, and he shone in rich garments; since he was accustomed in the circle of Rubens to noblemen, and being naturally of elevated mind, and anxious to make himself distinguished, he therefore wore—as well as silks—a hat with feathers and brooches, gold chains across his chest, and was accompanied by servants.”

Van Dyck was building a brand.

On returning to Flanders, Van Dyck cemented his bold reputation with a series of religious paintings for the Catholic churches in Antwerp, and portraits that showed the sitters as noble, elegant and preternaturally fashionable. Van Dyck was proving himself as comfortable among royalty as he was in the studio, and as they say—it’s all about the connections.

Riding with the King

In 1632, at age 33, Van Dyck moved to London to be the leading court painter for King Charles the First. King Charles loved the arts, and was a powerful draw to many of the great painters of the day. A few years earlier he’d brought Orazio Gentileschi and his daughter Artemisia to England, and when Van Dyck arrived he received a royal welcome. Van Dyck was knighted the principalle Paynter in Ordinary to their Majesties. He was also given a home on the river in the Blackfriars art district, near the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and given a pension of £200 per year in addition to his generous commissions.

The English court loved Anthony Van Dyck, because he made them look awesome. With a careful eye to fashionable dress and impeccable detail, and a causal ease in posture, Van Dyck’s portraits gave their subjects a look of “instinctive sovereignty.”

His success with the court soon required the development of a large studio, where a visitor claimed that Van Dyck outlined the figures and painted only the heads and hands, leaving the clothing and background to a growing team of apprentices and specialists. Working efficiently, Van Dyck built an enormous library of works, and influenced portrait painting to this day. Formal dress, casual attitude, and the confidence of looking like the best version of yourself.


...


Got questions, comments or corrections about Anthony van Dyck? Join the conversation in our Discord, and if you enjoy content like this, consider becoming a member for exclusive essays, downloadables, and discounts in the Obelisk Store.

Reed Enger, "Anthony van Dyck, Dandies, divas, and cavalier style," in Obelisk Art History, Published February 20, 2016; last modified November 08, 2022, http://www.arthistoryproject.com/artists/anthony-van-dyck/.

Anthony van Dyck was a Dutch artist born on March 22, 1599. van Dyck contributed to the Baroque movement, worked in Italy, Belgium and England and died on December 9, 1641.

Moses and the Brazen Serpent, Anthony van Dyck

Moses and the Brazen Serpent 1530

Portrait of a Man with a Gloved Hand, Anthony van Dyck

Portrait of a Man with a Gloved Hand 1540

Study Head of a Young Woman, Anthony van Dyck

Study Head of a Young Woman 1618 – 1620

The Head of an Old Man, Anthony van Dyck

The Head of an Old Man 1618 – 1620

Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy, Prince of Oneglia, Anthony van Dyck

Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy, Prince of Oneglia 1624

Daedalus and Icarus, Anthony van Dyck

Daedalus and Icarus 1615 – 1625

Rachel Wriothesley, Countess of Southampton as Fortune, Anthony van Dyck

Rachel Wriothesley, Countess of Southampton as Fortune 1630

Samson and Delilah, Anthony van Dyck

Samson and Delilah 1628 – 1630

Henrietta Maria, Anthony van Dyck

Henrietta Maria 1632 – 1635

Charles I, Anthony van Dyck

Charles I 1635 – 1636

Charles Louis, Elector Palatine, Anthony van Dyck

Charles Louis, Elector Palatine 1637

Sir Kenelm Digby, Anthony van Dyck

Sir Kenelm Digby 1640

Self Portrait, Anthony van Dyck

Self Portrait 1640 – 1641

By continuing to browse Obelisk you agree to our Cookie Policy