Spanish school of the 19th century. Follower of Anton Van Dyck.

Spanish school of the nineteenth century. Follower of ANTON VAN DYCK (Antwerp, Belgium, 1599 - London, 1641).
"Portrait of Charles I of England".
Oil on cardboard.
Measurements: 22 x 16 cm; 35 x 28 cm (frame).

Replica of the Portrait of Charles I of England by Van Dyck in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

This painting portrays King Charles I of England resting during a day of hunting, while two servants tend to his horse. In this painting, the king does not wear the typical attributes of royalty, such as the crown, the scepter or majestic robes, but appears dressed in an elegant and distinguished manner, similar to a peasant. The work has a remarkable artistic merit, since Charles I was very short in stature (he is considered the shortest English monarch in history). Despite this, the king arrogantly looks directly at the viewer. There is a harmonious relationship between the human figures, the animal and the landscape.

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 Venetian 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.