Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641)

• Was a Femish painter.
• The seventh child of Frans van Dyck, a wealthy Antwerp silk merchant.
• He was successful as an independent painter in his late teens.
• Van Dyck worked in London for some months in 1621, then returned to Flanders for a brief time, before travelling to Italy, where he stayed until 1627, mostly in Genoa.
• In 1632 he returned to London to be the main court painter, at the request of Charles I of England.
• He is best known for his portraits of the aristocracy, Charles I and his family.
• During his lifetime, Charles I granted him a knighthood.
• He was buried in St Paul's Cathedral, an indication of his standing at the time of his death.
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