Virtual guided tour
The Rubens House > Collection > Virtual guided tour > First-floor rooms > Corner room (16) > Anthony van Dyck
Anthony van Dyck
Rubens called Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641) the most talented of his many apprentices and assistants.
In all likelihood Rubens made this intriguing portrait around 1616, shortly after Van Dyck had come to work for him. The portrait is the most tangible expression of Ruben’s admiration for his younger colleague. With the help of a number of subtle artistic tricks, such as the half-turned pose and the intricate play of light and shadow, Rubens manages to create the effect of a snapshot. It seems as if Van Dyck has just set down his brush as he casts a self-assured (and perhaps even slightly arrogant) glance over his shoulder at the spectator.
When Rubens painted this work, he was at the start of a glorious international career. In Antwerp, Genoa and London, Van Dyck was greeted with acclaim for his talents as a portraitist. Ultimately, he would become court painter to the British crown.
Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)
Anthony van Dyck
oil on panel