ANTON VAN DYCK Workshop

Workshop of ANTON VAN DYCK, (Antwerp, Belgium, 1599 - London, 1641).
"Marie Henrietta of France."
Oil on canvas.
Relined. In good state of conservation.
Measurements: 74 x 60 cm; 85 x 71 cm (frame).

In the portrait, Henrietta Maria appears half-length, looking directly at the viewer. Her attire includes a white satin dress, adorned with intricate lace details and a cascade of pearls adorning her neck, bodice and ears. The chiaroscuro technique used by van Dyck highlights her face and clothing, creating a sense of depth and drawing the eye to the queen. Henrietta Marie of France was the wife of King Charles I of England. This portrait was painted during the period when van Dyck was an English court painter. The work reflects the queen's opulence and status, capturing her regal presence and elegant bearing.

Van Dyck is known for his ability to capture the personality and status of his models through detailed and expressive portraits. In this work, he employs a soft color palette on the queen and lighting that highlights the queen's facial features and the richness of her costume. The background is neutral and dark, thus emphasizing the importance of the main character. Maria Henrietta Maria's direct gaze conveys authority and grace, essential characteristics in court portraits of the time.

The son of a cloth and silk merchant, which undoubtedly influenced his appreciation of textiles, Van Dyck began his training at the age of ten in the workshop of Hendrick van Balen, who had spent several years in Italy and developed a markedly Italianate style. This period of Van Dyck's training coincided with Rubens' return from Italy, after which he produced a series of altar paintings for the churches of Antwerp, bringing with him a whole new visual language in its ambition, drama and color, which fitted in well with the Counter-Reformation religiosity of the Spanish Netherlands. It is not surprising, therefore, that Van Balen's brilliant pupil soon joined the circle of Rubens. By 1620 Van Dyck was already his chief assistant, although he already had his own independent workshop in the city. During these years he devoted himself mainly to works on religious themes, and already in 1620 he was invited to London to work for King James I. In February 1621 he was already back in Antwerp, and in October he left for Italy. During those months in his native city he began to emerge as a brilliant portraitist, with works such as the portrait of "Frans Snyders and his wife" (Frick Collection, New York), and "Isabel Brant", the wife of Rubens (National Gallery, Washington). In Italy Van Dyck settled for six years in Genoa, and from there he visited Rome and Venice, always studying the works of previous masters, especially Venetians and mainly Titian, whose influence would be evident in the rest of his career. He also visited Sicily, where he portrayed the viceroy Manuel Filiberto de Saboya. In Genoa the Fleming became the most sought-after portraitist by the local aristocracy, and in 1627 he returned to Antwerp with a solid reputation, soon being appointed painter to the Archduchess Isabella. However, he did not abandon religious painting, to which he devoted himself especially between 1628 and 1630, during the absence of Rubens from Antwerp. In his religious work we can appreciate characteristics of the art of the Counter-Reformation.