William
Dobson

DOBSON, William (Dobson, William)

1610, London — 1646, London. English painter who worked in the portrait genre. About years of study and formation, little is known. Obviously, the young Dobson was familiar with sir R. Peak, dealer in paintings and prints, through which received the ability to copy paintings by Titian and Tintoretto. Probably, I also studied the German artist F. Klein, Mortlach ran a tapestry workshop. Through his teachers had access to the Royal collection of paintings, where the main attention was paid to the Venetian school. Passion in his youth by the Venetians was reflected in the Mature style portraits of the master, featuring a bright color, based on contrasting colours. Making of the master took place in conditions of absolute dominance in the artistic life of England Anthony van Dyck, who worked at the court of Charles I. But the great Fleming not had a profound influence on the art of Dobson, which already belonged to another generation, another time. Creative activity of the master falls on the years of the Civil war, when the tradition fundakowski portrait with his gentility, special elegance and a slight touch of melancholy was interrupted. Was replaced by a more sober, realistic approach to the model. Master in expressing new trends, has become Dobson.

From 1642 till 1646 he worked in Oxford, which became the centre of the royalists. Being a court artist, painting members of the Royal family Charles I and the loyal officers. In earlier works dominated by energetic characters with a strong personality. Stylistically, his portraits represent a variant of the English Baroque more restrained than Lely. But they also paid considerable attention to the draperies, lush folds of the garments of the allegorical figures and details that reveal the occupation or social affiliation model. Adapting the formula of European hunting portrait of the artist who later became the traditional images of the English squires. The work of the last year of the masters are more subtle painting, they lack the assertiveness characteristic of his earlier works.

In April 1646 leaving Oxford and moved to London. Because of the debt goes to prison. Dying in the autumn of that year, shortly after release. Having lived a short life, Dobson was able to make a major contribution to the establishment of the national school of painting, to the creation of the English nobility of the portrait, the rise of which is on the 2nd floor. XVIII century.

Major works: the Portrait of A. van der Dort (CA. 1640, St. Petersburg, State. The Hermitage Museum), portrait of an officer with a page (1642, Kent, castle Knowle), portrait of an unknown (CA. 1643, Greenwich, NAT. Maritime Museum), Lord Byron and Charles, Prince of Wales (CA. 1643, Edinburgh, NAT. portrait gallery of Scotland), Portrait of Endymion porter (C. 1643, London, Tate gallery), Portrait of Charles Lucas (1645, Budgets Menor), Portrait of an unknown woman (1645, Birmingham, Mountains. Museum and art gallery).