van Dyck, Anthony, Original Etching Engraving

A wonderfully detailed and charismatic portrait, this exquisite work illustrates the technical mastery and artistic vision of van Dyck. De Wael's stately, yet approachable expression reflects van Dyck's refined ability to comfort and relax his subjects, resulting in a realistic and acute portrait.

Originally created in 1641, this portrait had become part of a series of 84 engraved portraits created by van Dyck in hopes of compiling his work in a published portfolio entitled "Iconographie." The plate has also been marked in the lower left of the plate "Ant. Van Dyck fecit aqua forti." Beneath the engraved name is the inscription: ANTVERPIÆ PICTOR HVMANARVM FIGVRARVM.

According to Frank Newbolt, van Dyck has depicted de Wael in such a way as to have revealed acute personality traits and characteristics otherwise overlooked by other portrait makers of the time. "The pose and modeling of the head make it one of the best of the series" (17) . The ¾ turn accents the prominent forearm and shoulder of the subject, allowing it to project into our space through its extraneous attention to detail and skill with burin in all the shaded and highlighted areas. The first state of this print shows de Wael as unfinished, however, the heavy, engraved background had been completed earlier on, suggesting the etcher's intent of the work to be completed by the engraver.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
It is fully documented and referenced in (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that I will enclose with the sale of the work) :

1) Newbolt, Frank. Etchings of Van Dyck, Ballantyne Press: London. Listed as cat. no. 9 on pg. 17 and illustrated as plate IX.

2) Hind, Arthur. Van Dyck: His Original Etchings and His Iconography, Houghton Mifflin: New Yor, 1915. Listed on pg. 102 as W. 17; D. 16 and illustrated on pg. 31.

About the Framing:
Conservation framed with museum quality archival materials, this work is mounted in a Spanish-style black and gold moulding whose intricately carved fleur-de-lys accents compliment van Dyck's engraved mastery. The refined gold leaf details with subtle hints of red and black highlights the shadows and remarkable details within this work. Completed with white, linen-wrapped mats and a matching gold inner fillet, this work is set behind an archival Plexiglas cover.

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