Van+Dyck+(artist)

=VanDyck=

Brussels
Anthony van Dyck was born in Antwerp on August 22, 1599. By the age of fifteen, van Dyck was already a highly accomplished artist. He became an independent painter in 1615. 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 Snyder’s (1618), Margareta de Vos (1618), Family Portrait (1621) and several known self-portraits. By his twenty-first year, van Dyck was ready to be on his own. His pride and ambition made it hard for him to stand in Rubens' shadow in Antwerp.

He then 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.

For the next six years, van Dyck spent his time studying the Italian masters. In 1627, he went back to Antwerp where he painted a large portion of his masterpieces. His reputation was made known to Charles I of England. In 1632, van Dyck went back to London, where he painted portraits of King Charles, Queen Henrietta, and the king's children. He also painted images of himself and his mistress, Margaret Lemon. His talent was so respected by the king that he was knighted in 1632 and elected as his official painter in 1633. He received a considerable pension and married the daughter of Lord Ruthven.

Van Dyck had a huge influence on English portrait painting, and because of this, some scholars call him the founder of the English school of painting. There have been several items named after this famous artist as well. A short pointed beard is known as a van dyck because he was known for painting portraits of people with that type of beard. A fancy dress costume called a 'Van Dyke' was popular during the reign of George III. There is an oil paint pigment named after his as well, called van dyck brown.

Anthony van Dyck died on December 9, 1641, in London, and was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral. He completed a total of 99 paintings, 72 of which were portraits. Van Dyck is best remembered for his depictions of Charles I and his court. One of his portraits of King Charles can be found in the Louvre.