Queen Henrietta Marie, wife of King
Charles 1st of England, younger sister of the King of France. Queen
Henrietta Marie, a Catholic queen, causing King Charles I to grant
toleration to English Catholics known as 'Recusants'. Queen Henrietta
Marie's eldest son would become King Charles II.
Anthony Van Dyke Born in Antwerp
in 1599, he became apart from Ruben the most important Flemish Painter. he
was the seventh child of a rich silk merchant in Antwerp. He was sent to
train under the Romanist Hendrik van Balen after his mother had died at a
early age. he soon became a assistant and pupil of the great Rubin in 1617
until 1620, where Rubin considered him to be his best pupil. and during
this period in 1618 he was accepted as a full member of the Lukas
Guild. He early commissions (probably influenced by his
friendship with Rubins). Paintings of Mythological and religious scenes
along with life like portraits became his main commissions. and
after a offer form the earl of Arundel, Van Dyck moved to England for a
few months before moving in 1621 to Italy where he studied the work of
Giorgione and Titian until 1627. It was in this period that he painted in
a similar fashion of the best Venetian artists completing the paintings
The four Ages of man, and The Tribute Money, he also painted a number of Madonna's
and other Holy paintings. he returned to Antwerp in 1627 where
he received triumphant welcome. He became court painter to the Archduchess
Isabella in 1630 and in March 1632 he was called to England by Charles the
1st as his court painter where he remained. In under ten years he painted
over 350 paintings which included 37 of king Charles and 30 of the
Queen. He lived an expensive life style with 5 servants, hand a
large studio. he had to keep the commissions coming in, and on many occasion
he would only part complete a painting, the face and hands, leaving the
rest to be done by assistants. With such a exhaustive life moving
between England, Paris and Antwerp, this most of brought on illness ands
eventually in 1641 he died in England. He must stand as a major force in
painting in Britain and he influenced many generations of painters, including
such greats as Reynolds, Lawrence and Gainsborough
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