For both art and history lovers, the name of Anthony van Dyck and the royal court of England’s King Charles I are inseparable. Few artists have historically influenced the popular image of a particular era as much as van Dyck. While it is taken for granted that the relationship between artist and king is a small part of van Dyck’s story, his varied career and broader artistic significance is too often overlooked.
“Sir Anthony van Dyck,” circa 1640, by Anthony van Dyck. Oil on canvas. National Portrait Gallery, London. (Public Domain)
Nearly 24 years separated van Dyck’s 1618 admission to Antwerp’s Guild of Saint Luke as a “free master” (an artist legally entitled to run his own studio) and his premature death at the age of 42. Much of his final decade was indeed spent in England. Prior to 1632, he made a single, four-month visit to the country. During the intervening years, he became one of the greatest religious artists of his day and a leading portraitist while working in Italy and the Netherlands….