The famous portrait painter Van Dyck, whose paintings are known to many people, studied with the famous Rubens. His works were devoted to myths and religion. They are similar to the works of the teacher, but still carry their own personality. Rubens was distinguished by his temperament, excessive emotionality, which was reflected in his works, but Van Dyck's paintings retained the restraint and calmness of his author.
Biography
Antwerp became the birthplace of the future genius artist. His father was a wealthy businessman and raised a clan aristocracy in his son. Perhaps that is why many of Anthony van Dyck's works are permeated with fragility and sophistication.
The artist traveled a little and spent almost his entire life in Antwerp. In his native land, he painted portraits of his acquaintances and friends. Moreover, the man tried to transfer and create works with maximum realism. Although it is also noticeable that some models acquired the aristocracy characteristic of the artist. The local nobility fell in love with Dake, and the young man received many orders. Pictures of Anthony van Dyck became more popular every day.
In 1632, Anthony had to leave his hometown, as the famous Rubens returned home. The artist did not want to compete with his teacher, so he moved to England. Here he was waiting for a real glory: Dyck became the main painter of King Charles I.
In England, the artist managed to establish his own school of portraiture. Then he continued to paint portraits of famous people. In 1639, the painter found his love, Mary Ratven, and married her.
The last years of his life, Anthony was engaged in large projects and was completely engulfed in inspiration. He worked on a cycle of trellises for the palace in London, worked with the galleries of the Louvre. But, unfortunately, Van Dyck's wishes were not destined to come true: the artist fell ill and died in 1641. In his will, he asked for his burial in the Cathedral of St. Paul.
Van Dyck's paintings have a common feature that distinguishes them from the whole range of works of Flemish artists. But, as already mentioned, portraits became the most popular.
"St. Bruno"
The painting "St. Bruno" was painted in 1620. To this day, there is no exact evidence that this is a picture of Antonis. Nevertheless, there is an assumption that this is his work, which is attributed to the early period of creativity. The painting was painted at a time when the young painter helped Rubens to work on painting the church.
Description of the painting by Van Dyck is not difficult to give. His works are not intricate, and everything is clear on them. On canvas, painted in oil, is St. Bruno. The image is presented in three quarters and placed against the background of a window with bright fabric. You can see the landscape in the window. The power of St. Bruno is shown by the bright light that falls from above. Such lighting symbolizes Christ. The attention of the viewer is focused on the face and hands of St. Bruno. There are no more details that would distract from the main idea.
"Self portrait"
This is a work depicting Van Dyck. Pictures of this kind are always becoming popular. Antonis created it after he returned from Italy. The painting is now part of the Hermitage collection and is the pearl of the collection.
Many still believe that this is the best creation of the Flemish painter. Contemporaries called Dyke a “minion of fate,” and this is depicted in Self-Portrait. Antonis looks like a secular gentleman in the picture, his features are thin, and his hands are sleek. Van Dyck's paintings have always been particularly elegant, and this work is not without refinement. The creation was written in 1622-1623. oil.
"Portrait of James Stuart"
Pictures of Van Dyck with the names are described by us. They are known all over the world. "Portrait of James Stuart" was painted in the years 1634-1635. In the next portrait, the author depicted the famous duke. The young man was a cousin of the king, and his appearance clearly shows belonging to the royal family. The camisole is decorated with a silver star, which represents the holder of the Order of the Garter. His figure was proud, and the artist portrayed Stuart so that he looked as if he were down.
Antonis masterfully emphasized James' long figure with a mass of elements. Here and narrowed frame, and a tall dog, who was the duke's favorite. Despite trying to be strict and arrogant, Stuart attracts everyone with his charm and kindness.
"Charles I on the hunt"
The artist created the picture for three years, from 1635. The canvas depicts Charles I, who rests on a cane and stands on the edge of the abyss. The figure of the king is the main one in the picture. She is clearly visible against a bright sky, and the hat is a contrasting accent, emphasizing the expressiveness of the image.
"Self Portrait with Sir Endymion Porter"
The painting, written in 1635, is a kind of contrast between the artist and Endymion Porter. The latter resembled a man from a bourgeois family, but achieved respect and honor among high titles. Van Dyck did a great job on his image, portraying himself in a favorable light, but the figure of Porter looks too simple.
The position of the hands of the heroes can tell a lot. Their friendship is indicated by the fact that they both keep their hands on the stone. But the fact that the painter put on a glove, perhaps, speaks of the nature of people's friendship. After all, if you look closely, Antonis' second hand is bare.
"Portrait of Margarita of Lorraine"
This is another portrait painted by Van Dyck in 1634. It expertly depicts Margarita. Antonis created a sophisticated figure of the girl, emphasizing the beauty of her neck and hands. On canvas, you can not find bright and aggressive colors, but restraint gives youth and attractiveness.
"Lady Elizabeth Timbelby and Dorothy"
On the canvas fit two Catholic sisters - Elizabeth and Dorothy. The portrait was created on the eve of the wedding of one of them. The picture conveys the historical nature of events. Anthony portrayed Elizabeth on the left as restrained, indicating her marriage. But Dorothy is holding a basket of flowers, which characterizes the upcoming wedding and the sincere love of a young woman.
"Equestrian portrait of Charles I"
This painting was painted in the years 1637-1638, and it portrayed Charles I as militant and courageous. The warrior-king is seated on a horse, wearing knightly armor, and a command stick in his hand. His attire is from 16th century Greenwich.
Charles I in 1625 became king of Great Britain and Ireland. When Van Dyck became the king’s chief painter, masterpieces began to appear from under his brush. According to the works that were found, it is known that Anthony created 35 portraits of Charles I, of which seven are equestrian.
"Portrait of a Knight with a Red Bandage"
This masterpiece is considered the best of the works of Anthony van Dyck. The artist was able to create the perfect composition. The figure looks as if in motion, from it comes strength, energy and courage. Most likely, the success of this portrait is associated with a period of inspiration in the work of Van Dyck. After the painter had problems with money, so the volume of work increased, and the artist left inspiration.
The main difference between Dutch and Flemish art to this day remains that in the first the writing of still lifes prevailed, and in the second - portraits. The artist Van Dyck, whose paintings adorn famous galleries and museums to this day, has become the most prominent representative of Flemish painting, bringing a ceremonial portrait to the world.