Artist of the week: Anthony van Dyck
ARTinvestment.RU   18 октября 2013

Only a very large master portrait won in the history of art its place. Van Dyck - one of them

these days in the Pushkin Museum. Pushkin opened an exhibition "Dutch group portrait of Golden age from Amsterdam Museum collection", which displays 10 large-format group portraits of the second half of the XVI — the end of the XVII century, in which all the major stylistic and chronological stages of development of Dutch portrait painting. However, the exposition did not see any of the most famous works of this genre — "Night watch" by Rembrandt, works of the famous Dutch (Flemish) portrait of an era — sir Anthony van Dyck.

Portrait of — genre special. During the life of the artist-портретисту easier to gain fame, and with it — wealth and position; representatives of other genres to achieve acceptance more difficult. But the deeper "the river of time... drowning in the abyss of oblivion" the names and business models, the more difficult and portraitist not to get lost in the history of art, whereas landscape or still life is not old, but like good wine, over time, acquire new qualities, awakening the new and new generations of viewers, the interest to the authors. Only a very large master portrait won in the history of art its place. Van Dyck — is one of them.

This artist during his short life (he died at the age of 42 years) has become one of the most successful pupils of Rubens (and in the absence of Rubens — the main artist of the whole of Flanders), live in Italy, in England to work for king James I and the Prince of orange, to become court painter of king Charles I, as well as the most popular secular artist of his time.

Anthony van Dyck born March 22, 1599, in a large family (he was 7-м of 12 children) the successful Antwerp, a cloth merchant Frans van Dyck and his wife Maria Kuipers (Cooper). It is known that Frans van Dyck in his youth engaged in the arts (the Guild of painters was one of the most respected in Antwerp), and by the time of the birth of Anthony maintained friendly relations with many of the Dutch masters. The mother of the future artist was fond of embroidery and embroidered even large-scale historical scenes with "such a striking ability that the masters of the profession was considered to be masterpieces." Perhaps the first lessons in painting young Anthony, at a very early age showed an inclination for art, got it from her. Maria Kuipers was short-lived, and after her death in 1607 sir Anthony was first invited teachers at home, and in 1609 10-летнего boy gave to the disciples to the famous painter Hendrik van Balena.

Apparently, the study was given to the future artist is quite easy: in 14 years he has created a completely self portrait 70-летнего old and inscribed in the corner of the age portrayed next to his own — apparently proud of this achievement. By 1613 applies to his first self-portrait.

In 1618 19-летний Anthony joined the painters ' Guild of St. Luke of Antwerp and asindependent artist began working in the Studio of Peter Paul Rubens. Incidentally, despite the fact that van Dijk has got the right to be called an artist only in 1618, the first works over his signature appeared in the years 1613-1615 — thus, it can be argued that what-то time van Dyck studied painting at the order and sold his work around the law prohibiting artists, not yet in a Guild, commercial activity in the city.

the Portraits by van Dyck of this period — senior citizens, their families, friends, artists with their wives and children — seem strict, surprisingly simple and even a little naive in comparison with the late works of the artist. They are characterized by a neutral dark background, the rigor and simplicity of composition, careful and realistic study of traits of the models and the details of their costumes.

By 1620 van Dyck confidently took his place as first assistant in the Studio of Rubens, working on the historical, religious and mythological scenes. By this time, he learned to imitate the manner of the master so well that to this day experts disagree about the authorship of some works and fragments of works: to distinguish the hand of the young van Dyck from the brush of Rubens Mature sometimes impossible. Contemporaries even noted that independent paintings by van Dyck are in no way inferior to the paintings of Rubens, except that the cost at the beginning of career of the young artist much cheaper. At the same time, from working in the workshop of his increasingly began to divert orders for portraits. Considering a major in art (and by the way, in his work, too) a large-scale altar cloths, then van Dyck did not consider himself a portraitist, although it was in this capacity became known, began to receive independent orders and even made his first trip outside his country.

One of the biggest patrons and collectors of his time, Thomas Howard, Earl Arundel, invited him to work for himself in England. To do this, apparently, was not just to historians aware of a letter received by Howard in July 1620 from his attorney and containing this characteristic of the artist: "van Dyck lives with Mr. Rubens, and his works begin to be appreciated as much as the work of his teacher. This is a young man of twenty-one, his parents are very wealthy and also live in this city, so it will be difficult to persuade to leave these places, the more that he sees the success and the richness of Rubens." However, in the second half of the 1620-го van Dyck still left in England. The trip has been extremely successful — from late 1620 to the beginning of 1621, when he returned to the mainland, van dyke has worked for Howard, many of the English nobility (including the Duke of Buckingham) andeven for king James I, who bought his collection in one of his paintings.

After returning from England, van Dyck, following the example of Rubens traveled to Italy and stayed there for 6 years. During this time he managed to visit Genoa (where he stayed most of the time), Rome, Venice, Milan, Mantua, Palermo, Turin, Bologna and Florence, studying and copying Italian masters in his album sketches. Stronger he was most interested in Titian's work —, he sought to adopt some of his compositional schemes, to learn to work with color and different textures of fabric, and in General all surfaces depicted on the canvas. Throughout later life, van Dyck admired the talent of Titian, and even collected one of the most representative collections of his paintings — he owned 17 Titian paintings.

However, the Titian was not the only master whose creativity was interested in van Dyck: in the extant album of the Italian sketches are sketches of works by Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Veronese and some others Venetian and Bolognese painters.

it is Worth saying that one study of the Italian masters stay in Italy was not limited. In 1624 van Dyck, whose fame and position secular artist after a trip to England is much stronger, has received an invitation from Vice-короля of Sicily, Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy to visit Palermo. There he worked on a portrait of Vice-короля (1624), and made the large altar painting "the Intercession of St. Rosalia of Palermo during the plague" for Palermo Church of Oratorio del Rosario (1624-1627) — the largest your work of religious subjects in the Italian period.

the Trip to Italy, in addition to artistic guidelines, helped van Dyck to determine their own destiny in art. Experts point out that, leaving Antwerp, he considered himself a master of multi-figure compositions, large-scale genre scenes, but with the increase in the number of orders (and in Italy he found a large clientele, though wrote only the high society members), it became clear that he was in the first place — portraitist.

In 1626-1633 years he has created one of the largest of their series — "Iconography" — collection of portraits of prominent contemporaries, executed in the technique of etching. It is known that van Dyck personally made only 16 works (in 1627 he was forced to urgently return home from Genoa, Antwerp), others were made on his preliminary sketches. The portraits were divided into three groups: the monarchs and generals (originally planned for 16 portraits), statesmen and philosophers (12 portraits), artistsand collectors (52 portrait). The final series was published only after his death and consisted of 190 prints. It is interesting that, although the authorship of the "Iconography" undeniably belongs to van Dyck, today no one can say for sure which of these works have had a hand in the artist and which was done by-то of the followers of van Dyck for the replenishment of the series.

in Concluding the story about the visit of van Dyck in Italy, it remains only to explain that it is urgent to return to Antwerp he was made news of the serious illness of his sister. However, upon returning to the living sister Antonis not found. Apparently, he's survived this event: in the next few years from-под he painted, besides portraits, was released a considerable number of works on religious themes.

In the late 1920-х van Dyck starts to prefer the front height or generational portrait portrait all other genres (to Italy, he wrote mostly bust, waist and often intimate portraits). Formal portrait has a special function: it does not seek to display the identity of the model (in General, the emotional component will begin to wonder of the artists much later — closer to the XIX century), first of all, this portrait is intended to show the social status of man and his role in society. In order to pass them, the artist usually uses all available means: in these portraits there is nothing random, everything has a value — from the posture model and tilt her head to lighting, background, accessories and interior items — in short, a science. Van Dijk also built this science to the level of high art — by the way, and in numerous self-portraits of this period, too.

the Glory of van Dyck as the unsurpassed master of the ceremonial portrait grew; he was literally swamped with orders, and in 1630 became court painter to the Spanish defender in the Netherlands, the Infanta Isabella.

the End of the 1630 — beginning of 1631 van Dyck spent in the Hague, where he worked on portraits of Prince Frederic of orange and his entourage; in the spring of 1631-го at the invitation of king Charles I came to England as court painter. On 5 July 1631 Charles I elevated him to the dignity of knighthood — and now Anthony van Dyck became known as the sir Antonis (-английски — Anthony) van Dyck (by the way, a couple of years earlier than Rubens).

Becoming court painter to the English king, van Dyck has devoted himself almost exclusively to portraits, and sought to show them prevailing in English society the ideal of the aristocrat — spiritually-утонченную personality. He says customers in an elegant, relaxed poses (which, by the way, often borrows with paintings by Titian), pays great attention to the proud posture, refines the appearance of models, often regardless of, had they actually refined this refinement, gives them helpful to create a predetermined image accessories. He wrote mainly portraits of the king, his family members, children (by the way, the artist was one of the first departed from the tradition of writing of children in the adult human proportions, but smaller in size), and some courtiers and members of the English nobility, although the pose of the great van Dyck, the king's favorite, sought all the English high society.

According to Roger de peel, French art theorist and a younger contemporary of van Dyck, he "created an incredible number of portraits, over which the first time worked with great diligence, but little-помалу began to hurry up and scrawl". Buddy van Dyck, the Cologne banker Eberhard, Abah wrote that often from-за overwhelmed with orders that worked in parallel on several portraits, giving each customer a day not more than an hour and leaving the execution of the clothing, arms, accessories, background to his assistants. Many of the portraits is a kind of division of labor visible to the naked eye. Meanwhile the fame of the artist was not bothered by it: 18 Oct 1634 Guild of St. Luke of Antwerp recognized van Dyck best among the Flemish painters, and his name was inscribed in capital letters in the list of Guild members.

In 1639, Anthony married a lady-in-waiting of Queen Mary Ruthven and entered thus into the circle of the English aristocracy, which he portrayed. In the winter of 1641 to the couple van Dyck daughter was born. Unfortunately, the painter was not able to fully enjoy family life, wealth (he was richer than many of its sophisticated-аристократических models) and even the joys of fatherhood. During one of his trips to the mainland (after the death of Rubens in 1640-м year van Dyck for some time, came to Antwerp, and then went to Paris where I wanted to order a Large gallery of the Louvre, etc.) he became very ill and 9 December 1641 (8 days after the birth of her daughter) died at his home in London.

During its short life, van Dyck painted about 900 paintings — huge amount for a person whose creative activity lasted for about 20years.

the Art of van Dyck are the originators of the national portrait England school of XVIII century. His work served as an example for Thomas Gainsborough, Joshua Reynolds, and other eminent portrait painters of the English school. So today, experts consider the later work of van Dyck to the history of English art in the same way as Flemish. Lifetime the popularity and fame of van Dyck continued in the following generations. His paintings were in the collections of the most famous collectors, and then — largest museums. Today, his works (mostly portraits but not exclusively) are on permanent display in major Museum collections in the world — from the State Hermitage Museum to the new-йоркского Metro.

market History of his works several centuries old, but in our time continues to amaze the world with the results. So, in December 2009, the last portrait of van Dyck, written in 1640, just a year before his death, went on the London auction house Sotheby's for 8.3 million pounds (13.6 million dollars), exceeding the upper estimeyt more than 2 times and set the record of public sales of works of the artist. This sensational result remains unsurpassed to this day. A year later, at the same Sotheby's work, "Two studies of a man with a beard" was sold for 7 250 500 dollars, also higher than the upper estimate of 5-7 million dollars. The third result of van Dyck — of 2.85 million dollars for "a depiction of the Apostle Peter" at Sotheby's in 2002.

Formally 3-м place in the list of the most expensive works would have to be a picture "Rearing stallion", in 2008 sold at Christie's for more than $ 6 million, three times higher than the estimate. But this work is very interesting story. In January 2012 the picture was again put up for auction. To everyone's surprise, she left with the result in 2.2 million dollars, 3.5 years, having lost 3.85 million dollars from his former prices, and thus took the second (or first, depending what you count) of our the ranking of the most unsuccessful investments. A year ago (when it was tallied) that we now tend to think that this is a one-time thing, and not what happened in 2012-м as it might seem, namely 2008-м, on a wave of public excitement on the art-рынке when I was shown not one obscure peak results.The market works by van Dyck is in generally good: at the auction of his belongings exhibited about 350 times, about equally painting and draw graphics; about three-quarters of the lots sold; the market is gradually increasing: it is estimated artprice, $ 100 invested in his work in 1999, by September 2013-го turned into a 133 dollars. Probably in 2008-м the buyer just got carried away. And when re-selling the item has not failed, and left within the estimate, as it should.

Interestingly, in our time, not only sales results by van Dyck become a sensation. In March 2011, in Spain, the restorers confirmed that the brush of van Dyck belongs to the painting "the virgin and child with repentant sinners", written in 1625 for the Spanish Duke of Medina-де-лас-Торрес and the last 200 years is stored at the Royal Academy of fine arts. Until recently, painting was considered a copy. And in the summer of the same year at London's Philip Mould Fine Paintings in the exhibition "van dyke Found" was exhibited three portrait by van Dyck, previously considered works or "the unknown author of the XVII century", or follower of the artist. "Portrait of a girl with a fan", "the old man's head Study and Portrait of Olivia porter" regained author thanks to the efforts of a British expert on Old master paintings of Philip Maulda, known for his discoveries in the field of attribution of works of fine art.

By the way, on 16 October at Christie's with an estimate 7-10 thousand Euro exhibited a small (20 x 16) drawing "Christ carrying the cross", done as a sketch to the altar the way for the Antwerp Cathedral of St. Peter, over which the artist worked in 1617-1618 years; I bought a pattern for 16 250 euros.

Maria Kuznetsova, AI

Sources: bibliotekar.ru; muzei-mira.com; rybens.ru; dpholding.ru; elpais.com; bloomberg.com; artinvestment.ru; artprice.com