Anthony van Dyck

Anthony van Dyck

Anthony van Dyck is one of the best-known Flemish Baroque artists. He is represented in the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen with several important works: early history paintings and characteristic examples of his portraiture, as well as studies of heads and grisaille sketches document the many facets of his oeuvre that made him one of the most sought-after artists of his era.

As part of this research project that is to run over several years, 54 paintings in the holdings – attributed either to van Dyck himself or to his workshop – are to be examined jointly with the Doerner Institut. Digital infrared reflectography, x-rays and dendrochronological analyses will be used for this purpose. Supplemented with observations made under the stereomicroscope, important findings about how the works were created and van Dyck’s specific painting methods will be gained.

It is already clear that the numerous changes van Dyck made, now concealed below the surface of the works, document not only his intensive struggle to find the best possible compositional solution but also the development of his individual pictorial concept that differed greatly from that of Rubens. The organisation of the workshop will also become transparent – the high demand necessitated an efficient production that was reached by dividing tasks among specialised artists in the workshop.

The findings of this research will be published in a catalogue of works in the holdings and presented in conjunction with an exhibition on Anthony van Dyck on 25 October 2019 in the Alte Pinakothek.