Anthony van Dyck
Anthony van Dyck is an Antwerp painter, draftsman and print artist. He is the most famous disciple from the circle of Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640). The latter explicitly called him his best student. The wunderkind van Dyck works in a feverish tempo to create an exceptionally well-stocked oeuvre. Along with Rubens, he is one of the defining figures of the Baroque.
Van Dyck was schooled in Latin and like Rubens, frequents humanistic circles. He mirrors himself on the Renaissance ideal of the Courtier. The painter stands out for his strong and charming personality.
In addition to Antwerp, van Dyck is also active in Italy and England, where he is court painter for Charles I and dies at an early age there. Just as with Rubens, he is influenced by the art from Venice. Van Dyck possesses a swift painting technique with loose and visible brushstrokes. Broad brushstrokes are put on the canvas in a loose, virtuoso manner. His technique and eloquence are compared to Titian (ca. 1485/90-1576). His figures often have emotionally laden faces, an aspect with which he influences many artists in the Netherlands. Van Dyck is also a master in the short perspective, a quality amongst others that comes to expression in the ceiling paintings that he, via Rubens, paints for the Saint Charles Borromeo's Church in Antwerp in 1620. Moreover, the influence of Rubens, Raphaël (1483-1520) and Guido Reni (1575-1642) are undeniable.
Van Dyck paints monumental altarpieces and is a leading pioneer figure in portrait art of the 17th Century. Horsemen, groups and children's portraits are his forte. He knows how to reconcile the aristocratic decorum with the informal and temporality of the portrait, as if it were a snapshot. With his masterful expression of objects, architectural elements that he uses as background décor and monumental portraits, van Dyck definitely exerts a significant influence. The high point is the three monumental portraits of Charles I, King of England.
(Text: Matthias Depoorter, 2018)