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        Anthony van Dyck (Antonis van Dijck) is one of the greatest Flemish painters. He was born on the 23rd of March, 1599 in Antwerp, 7th child in the family of a well-to-do silk merchant Frans van Dyck. After the early death of his mother he, at the age of 10, was sent to be trained by painter Hendrick van Balen in his workshop. In 1615, he already had his own workshop and an apprentice. In 1618, he was accepted as a full member of the Lucas Guild of painters.

        In 1618-1620, Van Dyck was working with Rubens as his pupil and assistant. He took part in the painting of the Jesuit Church in Antwerp. Also he painted such religious works as Samson and Delilah (1620), The Crowning with Thorns (1620), Judas' Kiss (1618-1620), St. Martin Dividing His Cloak (1620-1621) and portraits: Frans Snyders (1618),  Margareta de Vos (1618), Family Portrait (1621) and several known self-portraits. Although Van Dyck was with Rubens little more than two years, the older master's style affected his own indelibly.

        By his twenty-first year Van Dyck was already ripe for independence. His pride and ambition made it hard for him to stand in Rubens' shadow in Antwerp. He therefore accepted the invitation from Earl of Arundel to London, where he stayed several months. In England he painted Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Arundel (1620-1621) and other pictures. Also he was able to study the numerous works of the masters of Italian Renaissance, which were in the collections of the Earl of Arundel and the Duke of Buckingham. This led him to follow in the footsteps of his teachers Van Balen and Rubens and finish his education in Italy.

        Van Dyck left London in February, 1621 and after staying 8 months in Antwerp, he arrived in Italy by the end of 1621. He spent 6 years in Italy, staying mostly in Genoa and traveling to Rome, Venice, Turin and Palermo, studying and copying the Venetian masters - Tintoretto, Veronese, and particularly Titian, whose works influenced him greatly. He earned his livelihood by creating portraits especially of the Genoese aristocracy. The most notable portraits were George Gage, Looking at a Statuette (1623), Cardinal Bentivolo (1622-1623), Lucas van Uffeln (1622), Elena Grimaldi, Marchesa Cattaneo (1623), Paola Adorno, Marchesa Brinole-Sale with Her Son (1626), Giovanni Vincenzo Imperiale (1626). Also he was commissioned to paint some pictures for the Church Oratorio del Rosario depicting St. Rosalia, the patroness saint of Palermo. Other well-known religious picture of this period are Susanna and the Elders (1621-1622), The Four Ages of Man (1626), The Tribute Money (1620s).

        In 1627, Van Dyck returned to Antwerp, where he was given a triumphal welcome. He received many commissions for churches and became a court painter to the Archduchess Isabella in 1630. He created an astonishing amount of portraits during his stay in Antwerp in 1627-1632, the best of them are Portrait of Maria Louisa de Tassis (c.1630), Philippe Le Roy (1630), Marie de Raet, Wife of Philippe Le Roy (1631), Prince Rupert von der Pfalz (1631-1632). He also undertook a bigger project Iconography, for which he created the engravings of the famous people of the time: monarchs, commanders, philosophers, artists, collectors. It was published in 1628-1641.

        In 1632, Charles I invited Van Dyck to England to be a court painter. He was knighted, rewarded with the generous annuity of £200 and lavished with gifts. Sir Anthony van Dyck was crucial to Charles I: his portraits were designed to support the King in his claim to be absolute monarch. Other artists painted Charles, too, but it is Van Dyck's image of this melancholic, doomed King that is remembered in history. Van Dyck painted 37 pictures of Charles I and 35 of his Queen Henrietta Maria. The best of them are Equestrian Portrait of Charles I, King of England with Seignior de St. Antoine (1633), Queen Henrietta Maria with Sir Jeffrey Hudson (1633), Charles I, King of England, at the Hunt (1635) Charles I, King of England (1636), Charles I, King of England, from Three Angles (1636), Children of Charles I (1635), Equestrian Portrait of Charles I, King of England (1638). Van Dyck become a celebrated portraitist of the English court and aristocracy. In less that 10 years he created over 350 pictures, including royal portraits. His best portraits are Philip, Lord Wharton (1632), George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and His Brother Lord Francis Villiers (1635), Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Arundel and Surrey with His Grandson Lord Maltravers (1635), James Stuart, Duke of Lennox and Richmond (1637), Lord John Stuart and His Brother Lord Bernard Stuart (1637), George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol and William Russell, 1st Duke of Bedford (1637), Princess Mary Stuart and Prince William of Orange (1641).

        In 1639, Van Dyck married Mary Ruthven, grand-daughter of the Earl of Gowrie. His only daughter was born on the 1st of December, 1641 and on the 9th of December, 1641 he died in London. He was buried in the St. Paul Cathedral.

        In his court portraits Van Dyck established a style of characterization that was to persist all over the Europe for more than two centuries: in his visions of tall and aloof, yet relaxed, elegance, he showed the most subtle ability to bring a precise physical likeness into compositions of fluent and elaborate Baroque splendor. He was in particular a stimulus to English painters, such as Gainsborough, Reynolds and Lawrence.

Sir Robert Sherly - Englishman, he was in diplomatic service to the Shah of Persia. At the time of the painting of the portraits of him and his wife he was on a diplomatic mission to Pope Gregory XV. His wife, Lady Sherly, was of the noble Persian family.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  Sir Robert Sherly. Lady Sherly.

George Gage (1592-1638) was a diplomat and an agent of Charles I for purchasing the works of fine art for the King's collection.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  George Gage, Looking at a Statuette.

Prince Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy (1588-1624) - the third son of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy. From 1621, he was appointed a viceroy of Sicily.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  Prince Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy.

Adrian Stevens (1561-1641) was a wealthy wool merchant in Antwerp. He was also appointed by the City Council responsible for charity (the symbol of this is a plate with coins on the table, behind him).
See: Anthony van Dyck.  Portrait of Adrian Stevens.

Nicholas Lanier (1588-1666) was a Royal kapellmeister and an agent of Charles I for purchasing works of fine art for the King's collection. He was also a painter.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  Nicholas Lanier.

Prince Rupert von der Pfalz (1619-1682) 3rd son of the Elector Palatine Frederick V and Elizabeth, daughter of James VI and I, King of England and Scotland and nephew of Charles I. He fought in the Thirty Years' War against the Imperialists and at Lemgo was taken prisoner and confined for about 3 years at Linz. In 1642, he came to England and was appointed Commander of Horse. He fought in several battles of the Civil War (1642-1646), he was a tough and daring cavalry leader who inspired his man, although he often upset older commanders on his own side. In 1646, after the surrender at Oxford he left the King's service, but in 1648 he accepted the command of part of the English fleet. In 1650, he was attacked by Admiral Robert Blake, who burnt or sank most of his vessels. He escaped with the remnants of his fleet to the West Indies, where with his brother Prince Maurice he supported himself by seizing English and other merchants. Since 1653 he lived in France until the Restoration. He served under Duke of York (future James VII and I) and in naval operation against Dutch. He was one of the founders of the Hudson's Bay Company. He invented an improved gunpowder and an alloy called "Prince's metal".
See: Anthony van Dyck.  Prince Rupert von der Pfalz.

Sir Endymion Porter (1587-1649) English royalist, servant to James I and a groom of the bedchamber to Charles I, he fought for him in the Civil War. He is known for this portrait by Van Dyck.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  Self-Portrait with Sir Endymion Porter.

Philip, Lord Wharton was one of Charles I's courtiers, later he supported the Parliament against the King. Van Dyck painted several members of his family. Arthur Goodwin was the father of Wharton's second wife.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  Philip, Lord Wharton. Arthur Goodwin. Portrait of Philadelphia and Elizabeth Wharton.

Charles I (1600-1649) king of Great Britain and Ireland, second son of James VI and I and Anne of Denmark. He married Henrietta Maria, sister of French king Louis XIV in 1625, after he succeeded his father in March 1625. He was under the influence of the Duke of Buckingham until his assassination in 1628. Three Parliaments were summoned and dismissed in the first four years of his reign; then for eleven years Charles ruled without one. His extension of the ship tax to the inland counties met resistance of the landowners and his attempt in 1637 to anglicize the Scottish Church resulted in the active resistance of the Scots. In 1640, Charles was forced to summon the Parliament to raise money for the war. The "Short Parliament" was dismissed in 3 weeks, the "Long Parliament" outlasted the King. Parliament demanded from Charles to remove his chief advisors the Earl of Strafford and Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury. The Earl of Strafford was sacrificed by the King to insure the Queen's safety and was executed in May 1641 by the Act of Parliament. Charles was also forced to sign a doucment which stated that the existing parliament would not be dissolved without his own consent. In 1642, Charles tried to arrest five members of the Parliament, which led to the Civil War (1642-1646). Charles was defeated and on the 5th of May, 1646 he surrendered to the Scots at Newark. He was subjected to trial at Westminster. Charles faced it bravely and with dignity. Thrice he refuse to plead, denying the competence of such a court, he was found guilty and sentenced to public execution. On the 30th of January 1649 he died on the scaffold in front of the Whitehall with a courage worthy of a martyr. Charles had six children, who outlived him: Charles II (1630-1685), James II (1633-1701), Mary, Princess of Orange (1631-1660), Elizabeth (1635-1650), Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1639-1660) and Henrietta Anne, Duchess of Orleans (1644-1670).
See: Anthony van Dyck.  Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria with Charles, Prince of Wales and Princess Mary. Equestrian Portrait of Charles I, King of England with Seignior de St. Antoine. Charles I, King of England, at the Hunt. Children of Charles I. Charles I, King of England. Children of Charles I. Equestrian Portrait of Charles I, King of England.

Henrietta Maria (1609-1669) queen consort of Charles I of Great Britain, the youngest daughter of Henri IV of France and Marie de Medici. She was married to Charles I in 1625. She was extremely unpopular in England due to her Roman Catholic beliefs and her numerous French attendants. In February 1642, under threat of impeachment, she fled to Holland and raised funds for the royalist cause. In 1643, she came back to England and on the 3rd of 1644 she was separated from Charles for the last time. At Exter, on June 16, 1644 she gave birth to her youngest daughter Henrietta Anne and a fortnight later she was compelled to flee to France. After the restoration she visited England twice in 1660-1661 and 1662-1665.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  Queen Henrietta Maria with Sir Jeffrey Hudson. Queen Henrietta Maria.

Sir Jeffrey Hudson (1619-1682), a dwarf, was in the service of the Duchess of Buckingham and was given to Queen Henrietta Maria, who noticed him at the dinner, when he was hidden in a big pie and appeared suddenly. His height at the age of 30 was 45 inches.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  Queen Henrietta Maria with Sir Jeffrey Hudson.

George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham (1627-1687) son of the 1st Duke of Buckingham, favorite of James I and Charles I. After the assassination of his father he, his brother Lord Francis Villiers and sister Lady Mary Villiers were brought up with the children of Charles I. At the outbreak of the Civil War (1642-1646) he joined the royalists and served under Prince Rupert. In 1648 he joined the rising by Lord Holland in Surrey and barely escaped with his life, although his younger brother Lord Francis Villiers was killed. He went with Charles II to Scotland, and after the battle of Worcester went into exile. At the Restoration he became a privy councilor and for the next 25 years was notorious for his debauchery and wit. In 1674 he was dismissed from the government and lost the influence to another favorite. He was an author of several comedies.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and His Brother Lord Francis Villiers.

Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Arundel and Surrey(1586-1646) English statesman and a connoisseur of fine arts. He held a high position at the court of James I and Charles I, but is better known for his collection of fine art. He first invited Van Dyck to London in 1621 and urged the King to invite him again in 1632. He supported Van Dyck in London, who painted a lot of pictures of him and members of his family. See portrait of his wife Alathea Howard, Countess of Arundel, née Talbot by Peter Paul Rubens.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Arundel and Surrey with His Grandson Lord Maltravers.

This Portrait of Charles I From Three Angles was painted by Van Dyck for the Italian sculptor Bernini, who was commissioned by Papa Urban VIII to make the bust of Charles I. The bust was indeed created by Bernini in 1636 and was greatly admired by the King. Unfortunately it was lost in the fire in the Whitehall Palace in 1698. See the copy of it.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  Charles I, King of England, from Three Angles.

Charles II (1630-1685) king of England and Scotland from 1660, the eldest son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria. During the Civil War he was sent as a Prince of Wales to govern the west of England, then he was forced into an exile. On the execution of his father he assumed the title of king and was proclaimed king in Edinburgh. He landed in Scotland in June 1649 and was crowned king at Scone on the 1st of January, 1651. He invaded England, but was defeated by Cromwell at the battle of Worcester in September and barely escaped to France. He spent next 9 years in an impoverished exile in France and in the Netherlands. After the fall of the protectorate in 1659, General Monk negotiated the restoration of the monarchy and on May 29, 1660 Charles entered London. In 1662 Charles married Catherine of Braganza, but they had no children, although he had numerous mistresses and about 17 illegitimate children, most  of them acknowledged and ennobled. The restored monarchy survived a number of minor conspiracies and risings which the government with the support of a strongly royalist parliament used in order to pass severely repressive laws against dissenters and non-conformists. Charles himself was tolerant on the religious matters and personally inclined to favor the Roman Catholicism. He attempted several times to alleviate the catholics' lot by passing the Declaration of Indulgence, but was each time overruled by the parliament. Charles fought an unsuccessful wars with Holland (1665-1667), in 1670 he secretly signed the Treaty of Dover with Louis XIV of France, by which he agreed to join the Catholic church with his brother James (future king James II) and enter into an alliance with France against Holland in exchange of £200 000 a year from Louis XIV. In 1677 under the pressure of the Parliament he agreed to the marriage of the James's eldest daughter and heir Mary (future Queen Mary II) to William of Orange (the future William III). James openly proclaimed his Catholics beliefs and in 1673 married a Catholic Mary of Modena, although they did not have children for 15 years. The parliament tried twice to pass the Exclusion Bill to exclude him from the succession, but failed in both attempts, the last because Charles dismissed the parliament. He ruled the remaining years without summoning the parliament and died in 1685 of a stroke.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  Prince of Wales, Future Charles II, King of England.

James Stuart, Duke of Lennox and Richmond (1612-1655), was a relative and a close friend of Charles I. His younger brothers Lord John Stuart and Lord Bernard Stuart fought in the Civil War and were killed.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  James Stuart, Duke of Lennox and Richmond. James Stuart, Duke of Lennox and Richmond. Lord John Stuart and His Brother Lord Bernard Stuart.

William Russell, 1st Duke of Bedford (1613-1700), English nobleman. In the Civil War he first supported parliament and fought with Cromwell at Edgehill (1642), then turned royalist next year, but after the battle of Newbury changed sides again. He was married to Lady Anne Digby, sister of George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol and William Russell, 1st Duke of Bedford.

Philip, 4th Earl of Pembroke (1584-1650), English statesman, brother of the poet William Herbert. He was a favorite of James I. He strove to promote the peace between Charles I and the Scots, but left the king and joined the Parliamentarists.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  Philip, 4th Earl of Pembroke and His Family.

Thomas Killigrew (1612-1683), English playwright, brother of Sir William Killigrew, also playwright. He was page in the household of Charles I and afterwards a companion of Charles II in exile and his groom of the bedchamber after the Restoration. He published in 1664 nine plays.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  Thomas Killigrew and Lord William Crofts.

Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford (1593-1641), English statesman, was of Yorkshire family with royal connection. In 1614 he became MP for Yorkshire, although initially in opposition, he in 1628 became a royalist. In 1632 he was appointed a Lord Deputy of Ireland, where he ruled despotically. In 1639 he became the Charles I's chief adviser and was made Earl of Strafford and lord-lieutenant of Ireland. He was seen by the Parliament as main obstacle to Pym, the leader of the Parliament and was condemned to death by Act of Parliament. When Charles I refused to agree to his execution, a violent mob outside Whitehall Palace threatened the queen and the King gave in. He was beheaded in May 1641.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford in an Armor.

Princess Mary Stuart (1631-1660), the eldest daughter of Charles I, she was married at the age of 10, in 1641 to Prince William of Orange (future William II), stadholder and captain-general of the Netherlands. They had a son, future English king William III, husband of Mary II. See also Mary on the one of several portraits by Van Dyck as a child.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  Princess Mary Stuart and Prince William of Orange.

Portrait of a Noblewoman. This little portrait (20 7/8 x 16 15/16 in.; 53 x 27 cm), which was originally even smaller, is a sketch for the Portrait of Catarina Durazzo Adorno, known as The Golden Lady of around 1621-1622.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  Portrait of a Noblewoman.

Guido Bentivoglio (1579-1644) studied at Padua, went to Rome and was subsequently sent by Paul V as nuncio to Flanders (1607) and France (1617). He successfully settled the differences that arose between Catholics and Huguenots, was created cardinal in 1621, and appointed by King Louis XII protector of French interests at Rome. He held the latter position until 1641. He was the most trusted friend of Pope Urban VIII and would undoubtedly have become his successor, had he not died during the conclave. He left several historical works, dealing chiefly with affairs in Flanders and France. This portrait by van Dyck Cardinal Bentivoglio commissioned himself.
See: Anthony van Dyck. Cardinal Bentivoglio.

Marten Ryckaert (1587-1631) Flemish painter.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  The Painter Marten Ryckaert.

Isabella Brant (? - 1626) was Ruben's first wife. They were married for 15 years. She was painted by her husband many times, and also by his pupil van Dyck, who presented this portrait to his mentor as a gift before leaving for Italy.
See: Anthony van Dyck. Portrait of Isabella Brant.

Balbi was a large Genoese family with banking and commercial interests in Antwerp.
See: Anthony van Dyck.  Portrait of a Member of the Balbi Family. Portrait of Marchesa Balbi.

Marchesa Geronima Spinola-Doria was the wife of Filippo Spinola, son of Ambrogio Spinola, a very interesting historical figure, whose portrait was made by Van Dyck as well, and whose historical news you can read on the site by the descendent of the Spinola family Fiorenbellina Spinola: Agriturismo "I Mori Gelsi" - Fattoria Spinola.
See: Anthony van Dyck. Presumed Portrait of the Marchesa Geronima Spinola-Doria of Genoa.

Dona Polyxena Spinola Guzmán de Laganés was the daughter of a Genoese admiral and the wife of Spain's ambassador to Genoa. Her marriage took place in Madrid in 1628. Both her Italian father and her Spanish husband served official duties in the Netherlands, and her costume is northern European in style.
    The historical comments on Spinolas are kindly presented by the descendent of the Spinola family Fiorenbellina Spinola. Visit her site: Agriturismo "I Mori Gelsi" - Fattoria Spinola.
See: Anthony van Dyck. Portrait of Dona Polyxena Spinola Guzmán de Laganés.

Prefect Raphael Racius received the Raggi family's admission into the nobility of Genoa in 1528. By the time van Dyck was commissioned to draw this portrait the prefect had already deceased. Probably his descendants must have requested this posthumous portrait to emphasize their lineage. Very doubtful that the portrait has any likeliness with Raphael Racius, most likely van Dyck used a living model, any of his descendants.
See: Anthony van Dyck. Portrait of the Prefect Raphael Racius.

Lady Catharine d'Aubigny, née Howard, she married Lord George d'Aubigny, in 1638. The portrait was fulfilled shortly after her betrothal.
See: Anthony van Dyck. Portrait of Lady d'Aubigny.

Henri II de Lorraine, Duc de Guise (1614-1684). This portrait was painted in Brussels during Van Dyck's visit to the southern Netherlands in 1633-1634. Henri II had just fled from the French duchy of Lorraine after the failure of his intrigue against Louis XIII's prime minister.
See: Anthony van Dyck. Portrait of Henri II de Lorraine, Duc de Guise.

Bibliography:
Painting of Europe. XIII-XX centuries. Encyclopedic Dictionary. Moscow. Iskusstvo. 1999.
Van Dyck: 1599-1641 by Christopher Brown (Editor), Hans Vlieghe, Anthony Van Dyck. Rizzoli International Publications, 1999.
Anthony Van Dyck by Alfred Moir, Anthony Van Dyck. Harry N Abrams, 1994.
Van Dyck: A Complete Catalogue of Paintings by Horst Vey, Susan J. Barnes, Nora De Poorter, Oliver Millar. Paul Mellon Center, 2003.
Van Dyck at the Wallace Collection by Jo Hedley. Wallace Collection, 1999.
Van Dyck and the Representation of Dress in Seventeenth-Century Portraiture by E. Gordenker. Brepols Publishers, 2002.
Anthony Van Dyck as Printmaker by Carl Depauw, Ger Luijten. Rizzoli, 1999.