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Double portrait of king Charles I of England and Queen Henrietta Maria of France

Anthony van Dyck • Painting, 1635, 67×82 cm
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About the artwork
Art form: Painting
Subject and objects: Portrait
Style of art: Baroque
Technique: Oil
Materials: Canvas
Date of creation: 1635
Size: 67×82 cm
Artwork in selections: 7 selections

Description of the artwork «Double portrait of king Charles I of England and Queen Henrietta Maria of France»

"Double portrait of king Charles I of England and Queen Henrietta Maria" – one of the many portraits of British monarchs, created by Anthony van Dyck.

The second English period of van Dyck (the first was when the father of Charles, king James I) – the happiest time in the life of the artist, the era of creative prosperity and glory. Van Dyck very early became known at home, in Flanders, he was known in the Netherlands and Italy, but all this was nothing in comparison to those honors that the artist received at the court of English king Charles I. in Addition to money, houses in Central London and a country estate, van Dyck liking the title of baronet and a gold chain, symbolizing initiation into the knights.

It is known that Charles I, the first of the British monarchs, seriously interested in art for almost 10 years wanted to get in Flemish court painters. It almost became his obsession. According to one version, van Dyck could recommend Rubensthe most talented of his students. But there is another assumption: van Dyck was protezirovanie Charles I and his wife Henrietta Maria, the artist repeatedly wrote to her mother – the Queen of France Maria de ' Medici, and has been in Europe glory "the second Titian".

After moving to England, van Dyck writes of the king and the Queen sympathized with him repeatedly and varied. Carl is portrayed half-length and in height, horse and foot, by yourself or with households. There is even a wonderful portrait, where king revealed in three personsfront, in profile and three-quarter turn. Not less time van Dyck dedicates and writing portraits of Henrietta Maria: full face and profile, in purple, yellowand bluewith husband, childrenand Royal dwarf.

The king and Queen posed not only at the Palace. They were in the Studio of van Dyck in its London home, delivered in a big way. Since English period van Dyck wrote a lot (around 400 paintings indicates that on average, the artist produced portraits in a week), the workflow itself it was strictly regulated. Posing was administered in the morning and never lasted more than an hour. So the model is not bored in the Studio of van Dyck were musicians and did a lot of acting clowns. Van Dyck personally wrote the face and occasionally the hands, leaving the work on the costumes and the interior of his most talented apprentices.

The artist has created a new type of portrait – aristocratic formal portrait depicting those van Dyck wrote, lofty and noble, refined and elegant. Of course, it's partly idealized its heroes and sometimes it led to ridiculous situations. For example, one of the nieces Henrietta Maria arrived in England, and knowing her only for portraits, not immediately able to learn in a small stooped woman with teeth sticking out, "as cannons on Board the ship"the beauty of paintings of van Dyck.

Wife Henrietta Maria and Carl on this double portrait depicts rather separately than together. This is not a family scene, and a sort of medallion, where each exists in its own space, and yet how much they have in common! They look very similar, their mood and even the features seem remarkably similar. Why do they seem sad? King and his wife hardly foresee its not-so-distant future: Carl by the decision of the British Parliament to be beheaded, and Henrietta Maria are waiting for many years of wandering through Europe. But the expression of sadness on their faces is not due, and only the fact that van Dyck portrayed them in accordance with the court fashion of his era – a fashion for melancholy.

Author: Anna Yesterday
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