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Van
Dyck
Self portrait
Self Portrait at the age of fourteen
Childhood
Antoon Van Dyck was born on 21 March 1599
in Antwerp, then the main port of the Spanish Netherlands . A member of a
well-to-do family, he was named after his paternal grandfather, who had
himself once been a Master in the Antwerp painter's guild. But, in a city
where there were more painters than bakers, Van Dyck the Elder had found it
impossible to make his art pay. So he turned to commerce, becoming a
successful merchant in luxury textiles - velvet, satin and silk. His eldest
son, Frans, was Antoon's father. He expanded the family business but
ultimately overreached himself, falling into financial 'disgrace' at the end
of his life.
The young Van Dyck has been called "the Mozart of painting". This is an
exaggeration, although there is no doubt he was an exceptionally gifted
teenage draughtsmen and painter. He was lucky, also, in his mother Maria.
Born Maria Cuypers, she encouraged his talent from an early age and had
close family ties with many of the most distinguished Antwerp artists,
including the Brueghel and de Wael dynasties. Her sudden death, three weeks
after Antoon celebrated his seventh birthday, had a profound effect on her
son, setting a seal on his character for the rest of his life.
In 1609, at the age of 10, the boy signed on as a 'leerjonger' or
apprentice at the studio of Hendrick Van Balen, the Dean of the Antwerp
painters. But Van Dyck's time here was a brief stop on a road to greater
things. As soon as a vacancy occurred (and almost certainly by 1613 or
1614), Van Dyck transferred to the workshop of Peter Paul Rubens, who had
recently re-settled in the city.
Knighthood
In 1632 Van Dyck accepted Charles I's invitation to return to London as
court painter and so began one of the most remarkable of all artist-client
partnerships. It is at this time that Van Dyck becomes Sir Anthony. He
was knighted by Charles I in 1633.
Personality
There is very little known
about Van Dyck. one of the main reasons is because there are very few
first hand accounts by him, and almost no letters written by him. One
of the reasons could be because Van Dyke must have spent all of his time
working. A compulsive worker, Van Dyke would produce two or three
full-sized paintings a month! This included all of the preparatory
sketches, studio prints, etc. Though he may have been shy, Van Dyke
was most likely very proud of his talents and works. There was a
period where Van Dyke went through a strong depression. It is believed
to be because of the early death of his mother.
Van Dyck was also a man who was not
lacking in the department of love. First on the list is the model who
posed in many of his mythological paintings in the late 1620s. Then,
in England, he fell in love with Katherine, the governess of Princess Mary.
But she was not interested in him. So he chose to have an affair with
Margaret Lemon, the courtesan. Finally Van Dyck settled down in 1639.
With the marriage to Mary Ruthven came his daughter Justiniana. She
was born in December 1641, a week before his own death.
information taken from
http://www.vandyck.co.uk/life.html
Paintings
Anthony
van Dyck Paintings Prints reproductions
Arcadian Galleries reproduction oil paintings
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