Sir Anthony Van Dyck with a Sunflower
Original title: Sir Anthony Van Dyck with a Sunflower
kurzbeschreibung
Wenceslaus Hollar produced this etching in 1644, showing Sir Anthony van Dyck in profile holding a sunflower. The print measures 13.5 × 11.1 cm and is the third state of three. It is a black-and-white portrait of the Flemish painter.
Description
Van Dyck appears from the side, his face turned to the right. He wears a robe with a collar and a chain hanging from a ring. His right hand grasps a sunflower, which is offered to him by a figure only partly visible. A plain sky with a few clouds fills the background, while a Latin poem occupies the lower section.
Context
The etching is dated 1644, a year after van Dyck's death, and belongs to a series of portraits Hollar made after designs by other artists. Born in Bohemia, Hollar worked in London and Antwerp and was admired for his precise renderings. The poem at the bottom refers to the artist and the printmaker, as was customary for graphic portraits of that era.
Impact
Van Dyck comes across as calm and dignified, emphasized by the clear profile and the symbolic sunflower. The precise linework and strong black-and-white contrast create a noble, restrained mood.
Technique
Etching is an intaglio process in which the drawing is scratched into an acid-resistant layer on a copper plate and then bitten with acid. This is the third state of three, indicating later reworking of the plate. At 13.5 × 11.1 cm, the format remains small and intimate.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)