Saint Matthias (ca. 1619)

Anthony van Dyck prints bring the silks, lace and aristocratic elegance of 17th-century court portraiture into your home. Van Dyck was the Flemish Baroque painter who trained with Rubens and became court painter to Charles I of England, setting the style of English portraiture for over 150 years. Our collection of fine art prints covers his royal and aristocratic portraits, religious paintings, mythological scenes and studies.

About Anthony van Dyck

Anthony van Dyck was born in Antwerp on 22 March 1599, the seventh child of a wealthy silk merchant. He painted from an early age, was working independently in his late teens, and became a master of the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke in 1617. By then he was working in the studio of Peter Paul Rubens, the greatest northern painter of the day and a major influence on him.

After a few months in London in 1621 he went to Italy, where he stayed until 1627, mostly in Genoa, developing a grand full-length portrait style for the Genoese aristocracy, drawing on Titian and Veronese as well as Rubens. In Palermo, quarantined during the 1624 plague, he painted images of Saint Rosalia that became the standard way of showing her. Back in Flanders, he made his celebrated Iconography series of portrait etchings and from 1630 was court painter to the Archduchess Isabella.

In 1632 Charles I brought him to London as his principal court painter and knighted him. There he painted the king, Queen Henrietta Maria, their children and the court in a long series of portraits. He died in London on 9 December 1641 and was buried in St Paul's Cathedral.

Style and Subjects

Van Dyck's portraits combine relaxed elegance with dignity. His sitters stand or sit with easy grace, their long, slender hands and shimmering satins painted with fluid brushwork, often against a column, curtain or distant landscape. He gave the English court an air of refined, aristocratic ease.

His religious and mythological pictures are warm and emotional, showing Rubens's influence but with a more delicate, melancholy touch. He was also an outstanding draughtsman and an innovator in etching and watercolour.

Famous Works

• Isabella Brant. A portrait from his years with Rubens.
• Samson and Delilah (c. 1630), Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Samson captured, from his Flemish years.
• The Vision of the Blessed Hermann Joseph (1629), Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. A tender vision of the Virgin.
• The Crucifixion with Saint Rosalia (c. 1629). Saint Rosalia at the foot of the cross, a subject he made his own.
• Charles I at the Hunt (1635), Louvre, Paris. The king at ease in the countryside, one of his most famous portraits.
• Charles I in Three Positions (1635), Royal Collection, UK. The king seen from three angles in one picture.
• Lord John Stuart and His Brother, Lord Bernard Stuart (1638), National Gallery, London. Two elegant young brothers in silk.
• Princess Mary, Daughter of Charles I. A portrait of the young princess.

Decorating with van Dyck Prints

Van Dyck's portraits suit formal rooms: a dining room, library or entrance hall with dark wood and rich fabrics. Royal portraits, like Portrait of Queen Henrietta Maria, make an elegant pair above a console or fireplace.

His religious works suit a quiet study, and his Genoese portraits, such as A Genoese Noblewoman and Her Son, add grandeur to a living room.

FAQ

Who was Anthony van Dyck?

Sir Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641) was a Flemish Baroque painter who trained with Rubens and became principal court painter to Charles I of England.

Why is van Dyck important?

He revolutionised court portraiture and was the dominant influence on English portrait painting for over 150 years. The "Van Dyke" beard is named after him.

What is van Dyck's most famous painting?

Charles I at the Hunt, Charles I in Three Positions and his equestrian portraits of the king are among his best-known works.

Where can I see van Dyck's paintings?

The Royal Collection, the National Gallery in London, the Louvre, the Prado, the Kunsthistorisches Museum and museums in Genoa and Antwerp hold his work.

Related Artists

• Peter Paul Rubens: his master in Antwerp
• Diego Velázquez: contemporary who also revolutionised court portraiture
• Sir Peter Lely: later court portraitist in England
• Thomas Gainsborough: English portraitist of the next century
• Cornelis de Vos: Antwerp portraitist of the same circle