(In the Wallace Collection)
The masterpiece of Van Dyck's second Flemish manner. In it we see the
culmination of the influences he had brought away with him from Italy
sobered by a renewed contact with the productions of his illustrious
master. The dignity of pose, probably derived from Moroni and Titian,
united with the fact that his immense technical powers are brought into
play in an unsurpassed degree, certainly proclaim it as one of the
greatest portraits in the world. Van Dyck executed an etching of
Philippe le Roy, probably based upon this portrait which ranks very
high amongst his productions in this way.
[Illustration: Plate V.]
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It is more than probable that Van Dyck found certain points in his
master's method crude compared with that of the Venetians, and
although, as we shall see later, he endeavoured after his return to
Flanders to retrace his steps in a measure, the influences he brought
away with him from Italy remained during his whole life.
He went from Venice to Genoa, and there his style created such an
impression that he found many of the nobility eager to have their
portraits painted by him. Formerly, his Italian manner, as it is
called, was to be best studied in that city, but as years have rolled
on many of the finest examples have become scattered over Europe and
America. The two fine portraits recently added to the National Gallery
date from this period, and although, owing to their condition, they do
not set forth his talents at their best, will give a good idea of the
changes his method had undergone since he left Antwerp. Two of the
noblest portraits of the Genoese period were formerly in the collection
of Sir Robert Peel, but, after being sold at auction in London some few
years ago, finally found a permanent home in the Berlin Gallery.
From Genoa he went to Rome, and, his reputation having preceded him, he
was soon loaded with commissions for both historical subjects and
portraits. It is said, however, that his residence here was rendered
unpleasant by a number of artists persecuting him by reason of his not
wishing to fall in with their methods of life. Be this as it may, he
returned to Genoa, and after some time departed for Palermo; but the
plague breaking out, some time after his arrival, he determined to
return to Flanders. Van Dyck had reason to congratulate himself, not
only upon the amount of benefit which he had received from his sojourn
in Italy, but also on account of the flattering manner in which he had
been received everywhere. His complete success in these two respects
was calculated to infuse confidence in him for the future. He was now
fully equipped in every way, and his good luck in the matter of
patronage, so lavishly bestowed upon him in Italy, was destined to
pursue him in his future career, until finally the immense amount of
work he undertook in consequence had an adverse influence upon his
later productions.