Self-Portrait with a Sunflower

Last updated
Self-Portrait with a Sunflower
Anthony van Dyck - Self-portrait with a Sunflower.jpg
Artist Anthony van Dyck
Yearc.1632 to 1633
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions73 cm× 60 cm(29 in× 24 in)
Location Eaton Hall, Cheshire, England

Self-Portrait with a Sunflower is a self-portrait by Anthony van Dyck, a Flemish Baroque artist from Antwerp, then in the Spanish Netherlands. The oil on canvas painting is generally between 1632 and 1633. His successful ventures in the Spanish Netherlands and Italy propelled van Dyck into a career as court painter. [1] Van Dyck was serving as "principal Paynter in order to their Majesties" at the court of Charles I of England when he created this self-portrait. [2] The symbolism behind the sunflower and gold chain have been a point of contention amongst various art historians. [3] Van Dyck's dedication to capturing the likeness of his models was the basis for his strong influence over the art of portraiture long after his death in 1641. [1] His portrait technique evolved into what is referred to as his Late English period as seen in Self-Portrait with a Sunflower. [4] This work is now in the private collection of the Duke of Westminster, housed at Eaton Hall in Cheshire. [5]

Contents

Description

The portrait features the artist Anthony van Dyck looking over his shoulder at the viewer. [2] His gaze centres on the viewer, as if calmly startled by the presence of an onlooker. [6] His right hand is poised to touch the bottom petals of a yellow sunflower. [6] His left index finger and thumb hold a gold chain that extends across his right shoulder and down his posterior side. [6] This is a visual trick of calling attention to the chain and the message it portrays. [7] This chain is understood to be a gift the artist received from his patron, Charles I. [2] The gold chain holds a medal with the king's likeness on it, but is concealed by the artist's right arm sleeve. [2] He is portrayed to be outdoors in nature, as seen by the clouds in the background. [6] He is clothed in a richly-dyed pink overcoat with a white shirt visible on his collar, shirt cuffs, and a slender slit on his back. [3] The light source is radiating from the bottom left corner, illuminating the outer petals of the sunflower. [6] This gives the visual effect of the sunflower "shining" on Anthony van Dyck's face in approval, a common interpretation of the sunflower. [2]

Background

Van Dyck in the Court of Charles I

King Charles I was notoriously famous for his patronage of the arts, and during the early 1600s, extended his collection of artwork extensively with the addition of works once owned by the Duke of Mantua. [4] During the height of his rule, Charles had amassed a great collection of works totalling an estimated 1,750 paintings, some of which were created by Van Dyck. [4] Shortly after his coronation in 1626, the King sought to create a fleet of Baroque artists, including Peter Paul Rubens and Orazio Gentileschi, to work and live in England. [8] The Dutch artist Daniël Mytens was Charles' official court painter before Van Dyck's arrival to England, yet lacked the skills to depict Charles as regally as he wished. [8]

Van Dyck became a sought after artist soon after submitting a self-portrait to court officials and creating a religious work for Queen Henrietta Maria of France. [8] He was asked to come to England in April 1632, was knighted for his work and loyalty to the crown later in July, and subsequently became a favourite of Charles. [1] He was given a quiet house along with a handsome pension of £200 annually. [9] It is estimated that van Dyck created over 40 portraits of King Charles alone, along with various other paintings of the royal family together. [8] These works were commonly sent to other monarchs and functioned as diplomatic gifts. [8] In England, van Dyck was able to develop his style and live well within his means as an artist. [8]

Provenance

The painting belongs to the private collection of the Duke of Westminster. [10] It is currently housed in the country house of Eaton Hall, located in Cheshire, England. [11] Since the work belongs to a private collection, it currently is not and has not been on public display for quite some time. [11] The current title holder of Duke and over-seer of Eaton Hall is Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster. The young billionaire aristocrat has a net worth of nearly £9 billion, making him the world's richest man under 30 years of age. [12] In 2013, he was named the godfather of Prince George of Cambridge. [13] Self-Portrait with a Sunflower finds great company amongst the collection the Grosvenors have amassed throughout the centuries; some other notable names in their private collection include Rembrandt, Thomas Gainsborough, and Claude Lorrain. [5] The Duke has been known to loan works out for a handful of exhibits, but Van Dyck's self-portrait has not been publicly displayed in over a decade. [5] A spokesperson for the Duke made a comment in 2007 that no private appointments to view any work in the collection will be taken. [5] The painting was shown in the exhibition Charles I: King and Collector in the Royal Academy of Arts from 27 January to 15 April 2018. [14] [15]

Interpretation

Sir Kenelm Digby with a Sunflower
Workshop of Anthony van Dyck - Portrait of Sir Kenelm Digby with a Sunflower.jpg
ArtistAnonymous painter(s) in the workshop of Anthony van Dyck
Yearc.1630s
Mediumoil on canvas
Dimensions91.5 cm× 71 cm(36.0 in× 28 in)
Location National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, England

Sunflower

Historians and scholars have hotly debated the symbolism behind the sunflower. [2] [3] The concept of the language of flowers and deriving symbolism from flora had not yet gained the popularity that it would later have in literature, art, poetry, and more; yet a plethora of flowers were associated with certain traits and characteristics even in the Baroque era. [16] The sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is symbolic of devotion and fidelity because it turns during the day to follow the Sun in its course across the sky, as reflected in its French name tournesol, the Spanish girasol, Italian girasole, etc. This obvious symbolism was naturally noted in 17th century English emblem books, in which the sunflower represents loyalty. [2] [3] Many of these emblem books were published and made available in Van Dyck's home city, Antwerp, [2] but the characteristic of the plant is known to every gardener, and no literary source is necessary. Although he did not state personally that this devotion is specifically to the Crown, it has been interpreted that this portrait is a declaration of loyalty only to Charles I. [3] Presiding as court painter to the king of England was an honour that Van Dyck revelled in, as well as an honour that any artist would be proud of. [17] Art historians agree that the golden chain van Dyck has draped across his right shoulder was gifted to him by his patron Charles I and that the work was created while he was a court painter. [3] [17] The sunflower and its position facing him are interpreted as symbols for the monarch's approval of van Dyck. [3]

Yet it is not unanimously agreed that there is direct correlation between the artist and the patron specifically. Anthony van Dyck's workshop created a work likely between 1635 and 1650 that depicted his dear friend Sir Kenelm Digby, an English astrologer, natural philosopher, and royal courtier. [3] The oil on canvas is titled Sir Kenelm Digby with a sunflower. [3] A testament to the friendship between Digby and van Dyck are the several portraits van Dyck painted to honour the late Venetia Stanley, Digby's wife. [2] He also completed a family portrait of the Digby couple and their two young children between 1632 and 1633, the same years he worked on his sunflower self-portrait. [2] The sunflower in Kenelm Digby's portrait would not make sense to function as the same symbolic nod to the crown. It would be more accurate for the sunflower to symbolise devotion and allegiance here, for Digby served the Crown as an unofficial naval consultant in the mid-1620s, as well as fought in a duel in 1641 in defence of the King and his namesake. [2] [3] Those in favour of this particular theory also state that Van Dyck's personal nature did not lend itself to be boastful about his dependency on another, even if that person was the King of England. [2] [3]

Later, in the early 1640s, the portrait would be used during the English Civil War as a loosely defined propaganda piece, persuading citizens to join arms for a royalist allegiance, and successfully did so in uniting the war-torn kingdom. [3] This is evidence to prove that if the sunflower were to be a symbol only of Van Dyck's fidelity to his patron, the portrait would not have favoured as well with a wide audience looking for inspiration and relatable meaning in an artwork. [3]

Charles I in Three Positions
Sir Anthony Van Dyck - Charles I (1600-49) - Google Art Project.jpg
Artist Anthony van Dyck
Yearc.1635 or 1636
MediumOil on canvas
Location Royal Collection

Gold Chain

Famously, the chain Anthony van Dyck dons in the portrait is a token of Charles I's appreciation for his artistic work. Van Dyck had only been in England for a little over a year before a warrant was issued from court officials for the medal of 'One Hundred and Ten Pounds value' be given to him. [2] Historians believe the chain and medal were designed by Nicolas Briot. [2] Oftentimes, gifts such as these were worked into the commission price an artist were to be paid following the completion of a work. [2] Not only was the token of appreciation a nod to the work Van Dyck had accomplished during his first year as court painter, but also a royal decree of his status in England. [2] When comparing the artist's other self-portraits, especially those he made while he was pupil under Peter Paul Rubens, the way he portrays simple, functional chains differs vastly to the outwardly candid adornment he sports in Self-Portrait with a Sunflower. [2] The touching of the chain is symbolic of his deep and active involvement in his duties, yet he restrains from making that the centre of the self-portrait by balancing the chain imagery with the sunflower. [2]

Van Dyck or Vandyke Beard

Anthony van Dyck was well known for his many attempts of capturing his own likeness on canvas. [2] As such, viewers were exposed to his unique style through his artwork. Van Dyck was capable of influencing 17th century Englishmen into adopting his mannerisms and outward appearance. [2] He was known for wearing his facial hair in a particular way, and would later popularise the look by painting his various models with the same beard. [18] The style known as the Van Dyck beard came to consist of a moustache and goatee with the hair on the cheeks completely shaven. [18] The moustache could be curled at the tips and include or exclude a soul patch depending on personal preference. [18] The look was thought to have a regal and stately appearance, and King Charles I himself often liked to be depicted wearing the facial hair style in his portraits. [19] Because Charles I was seen so often sporting the Van Dyck beard, it is also referred to as the "Charlie". [19] The trend slowly died out before practically disappearing from fashion during the English Restoration under the rule of King Charles II. [20]

In Self-Portrait with a Sunflower, van Dyck is sporting a classic "Vandyke"; his chin goatee consists of a tapered end, and his moustache tips are curled and pointed upward. [2] His upper lip is nearly hidden by the thick, dark hair of his moustache whilst remaining cleanly trimmed, indicative of the pride he has in the growth of his hair and his appearance. [2]

Copies

There is a copy of the painting, which was also painted by van Dyck, in the property of the foundation of the Friedenstein Palace in Gotha (Germany). This painting was stolen in 1979 and resurfaced in 2019. [21]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Jaffé, Michael (2003), "Dyck, [Dijck] Sir Anthony [Anthonie; Antoon] van", Oxford Art Online, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.t024345
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Peacock, John (2006). The Look of Van Dyck: The Self-Portrait with a Sunflower and the Vision of the Painter. Ashgate. ISBN   9781351542869. OCLC   1006339691.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Wark, R. R. (1956). "A Note on Van Dyck's 'Self-Portrait with a Sunflower'". The Burlington Magazine. 98 (635): 53–54. ISSN   0007-6287. JSTOR   871799.
  4. 1 2 3 Carlton, Charles, 1941- (1995). Charles I, the personal monarch (2nd ed.). London: Routledge. ISBN   978-0415121415. OCLC   32090222.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Britain's hidden art". www.newstatesman.com. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Self-Portrait with a Sunflower by Anthony van Dyck". www.thehistoryofart.org. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
  7. "Anthony Van Dyck Artworks & Famous Paintings". The Art Story. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Brown, Christopher. (1983). Van Dyck. Cornell University Press. ISBN   978-0801415371. OCLC   801979537.
  9. Culture and politics in early Stuart England. Sharpe, Kevin (Kevin M.), Lake, Peter. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. 1993. ISBN   978-0804722612. OCLC   29900927.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  10. "Anthony Van Dyck Artworks & Famous Paintings". The Art Story. Retrieved 2019-04-16.
  11. 1 2 Dovkants, Keith (8 August 2017). "Hugh Grosvenor: How the richest man in the world under 30 stays normal". Tatler. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
  12. Duboff, Josh (23 October 2013). "Hugh Grosvenor: Meet the 22-Year-Old, Baby-Faced, Absurdly Rich Godparent to Prince George". The Hive. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
  13. EDT, Lucy Clarke-Billings On 8/10/16 at 3:17 AM (2016-08-10). "Britain's third richest man the Duke of Westminster leaves fortune to son—Prince George's Godfather". Newsweek. Retrieved 2019-04-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. Desmond Shawe-Taylor and Per Rumberg (Editors): Charles I: King and Collector (Exhibition catalogue). Royal Academy of Arts, 2018, p. 233.
  15. 'Charles I - King and Collector'. in: arthistorynews.com, January 26, 2018, Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  16. Scoble, Gretchen; Field, Ann (1998). The Meaning of Flowers: Myth, Language & Lore. Chronicle Books. ISBN   9780811819312.
  17. 1 2 Chapman, H. Perry (2013). "Self-Portraiture 1400− 1700" (PDF). www.segundodeagosto.com.
  18. 1 2 3 Grosswirth, Marvin (2014). Art of growing a beard. Dover Publications. ISBN   978-1322044583. OCLC   887095571.
  19. 1 2 Salus, Peter H.; Shipley, Joseph T. (1985). "The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots". Language. 61 (3): 710. doi:10.2307/414406. ISSN   0097-8507. JSTOR   414406.
  20. Sherrow, Victoria. (2006). Encyclopedia of hair : a cultural history . Greenwood Press. ISBN   9780313331459. OCLC   310081924.
  21. Spektakulärer Kunstraub in Gotha: Diese Gemälde sind wieder da (Picture 4). in: MDR. 6. December 2019, Retrieved 7. December 2019.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sofonisba Anguissola</span> Italian painter (c. 1532–1625)

Sofonisba Anguissola, also known as Sophonisba Angussola or Sophonisba Anguisciola, was an Italian Renaissance painter born in Cremona to a relatively poor noble family. She received a well-rounded education that included the fine arts, and her apprenticeship with local painters set a precedent for women to be accepted as students of art. As a young woman, Anguissola traveled to Rome where she was introduced to Michelangelo, who immediately recognized her talent, and to Milan, where she painted the Duke of Alba. The Spanish queen, Elizabeth of Valois, was a keen amateur painter and in 1559 Anguissola was recruited to go to Madrid as her tutor, with the rank of lady-in-waiting. She later became an official court painter to the king, Philip II, and adapted her style to the more formal requirements of official portraits for the Spanish court. After the queen's death, Philip helped arrange an aristocratic marriage for her. She moved to Sicily, and later Pisa and Genoa, where she continued to practice as a leading portrait painter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Dobson</span> English painter

William Dobson was a portraitist and one of the first significant English painters, praised by his contemporary John Aubrey as "the most excellent painter that England has yet bred". He died relatively young and his final years were disrupted by the English Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony van Dyck</span> Flemish Baroque artist (1599–1641)

Sir Anthony van Dyck was a Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Spanish Netherlands and Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniël Mijtens</span> Dutch painter

Daniël Mijtens, known in England as Daniel Mytens the Elder, was a Dutch Golden Age portrait painter belonging to a family of Flemish painters who spent the central years of his career working in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gonzales Coques</span> Flemish painter (c. 1616–1684)

Gonzales Coques was a Flemish painter of portraits and history paintings. Because of his artistic proximity to and emulation with Anthony van Dyck he received the nickname de kleine van Dyck. Coques also worked as an art dealer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornelius Johnson (artist)</span> English painter

Cornelius Johnson or Cornelis Janssens van Ceulen was an English painter of portraits of Dutch or Flemish parentage. He was active in England, from at least 1618 to 1643, when he moved to Middelburg in the Netherlands to escape the English Civil War. Between 1646 and 1652 he lived in Amsterdam, before settling in Utrecht, where he died.

Events from the year 1633 in art.

This is a list of events that occurred in the year 1638 in art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul van Somer I</span> English painter

Paul van Somer, also known as Paulus van Somer, was a Flemish artist who arrived in England from Antwerp during the reign of King James I of England and became one of the leading painters of the royal court. He painted a number of portraits both of James and his consort, Queen Anne of Denmark, and of nobles such as Ludovic Stuart, Duke of Lennox, Elizabeth Stanley, Countess of Huntingdon, and Lady Anne Clifford. He is sometimes designated as "Paul van Somer I" to distinguish him from the engraver of the same name who was active in England between 1670 and 1694.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adriaen Hanneman</span> Dutch Golden Age painter (c. 1603–1671)

Adriaen Hanneman was a Dutch Golden Age painter best known for his portraits of the exiled British royal court. His style was strongly influenced by his contemporary, Anthony van Dyck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van Dyke beard</span> Style of beard comprising a moustache and a goatee with all hair on the cheeks shaven

A Van Dyke is a style of facial hair named after the 17th-century Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641). The artist's name is today normally spelt as "van Dyck", though there are many variants, but when the term for the beard became popular "Van Dyke" was more common in English. A Van Dyke specifically consists of any growth of both a moustache and goatee with all hair on the cheeks shaved. Even this particular style, though, has many variants, including a curled moustache versus a non-curled one and a soul patch versus none. The style is sometimes called a "Charlie" after King Charles I of England, who was painted with this type of beard by van Dyck. "Pike-devant" or "pickedevant" are other little-known synonyms for a Van Dyke beard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Principal Painter in Ordinary</span> First Court painter in Great Britain

The title of Principal Painter in Ordinary to the King or Queen of England or, later, Great Britain, was awarded to a number of artists, nearly all mainly portraitists. It was different from the role of Serjeant Painter, and similar to the earlier role of "King's Painter". Other painters, for example Nicholas Hilliard had similar roles with different titles. "Principal Painter in Ordinary", first used for Sir Anthony Van Dyck, became settled as the usual title with John Riley in 1689.

Bernard Baron was a French engraver and etcher who spent much of his life in England.

<i>Equestrian Portrait of Charles I</i> Painting by Anthony van Dyck

The Equestrian Portrait of Charles I is a large oil painting on canvas by Anthony van Dyck, showing Charles I on horseback. Charles I had become King of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1625 on the death of his father James I, and Van Dyck became Charles's Principal Painter in Ordinary in 1632.

<i>Charles I at the Hunt</i> 1635 painting by Anthony van Dyck

Charles I at the Hunt, also known under its French title Le Roi à la chasse, is an oil-on-canvas portrait of Charles I of England by Anthony van Dyck, dated to c. 1635, and now in the Louvre Museum in Paris. It depicts Charles in civilian clothing and standing next to a horse as if resting on a hunt, in a manner described by the Louvre as a "subtle compromise between gentlemanly nonchalance and regal assurance".

<i>Charles I with M. de St Antoine</i>

Charles I with M. de St Antoine is an oil painting on canvas by the Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck, depicting Charles I on horseback, accompanied by his riding master, Pierre Antoine Bourdon, Seigneur de St Antoine.

<i>Portrait of Olivia Porter</i> Painting by Anthony van Dyck

The Portrait of Olivia Porter is an oil painting on canvas by Anthony van Dyck, showing Olivia, Lady Porter, the wife of Sir Endymion Porter, daughter of John Boteler, 1st Baron Boteler of Bramfield, and niece of the Duke of Buckingham, a zealous Roman Catholic and a lady in waiting to Henrietta Maria of France, queen consort to Charles I of England. It was discovered on the Your Paintings website by Bendor Grosvenor after being documented by the Public Catalogue Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bendor Grosvenor</span> British art historian

Bendor Gerard Robert Grosvenor is a British art historian, writer and former art dealer. He is known for discovering a number of important lost artworks by Old Master artists, including Sir Peter Paul Rubens, Claude Lorrain and Peter Brueghel the Younger. As a dealer he specialised in Old Masters, with a particular interest in Anthony van Dyck.

Remigius van Leemput, known in England simply as Remee, was a Flemish portrait painter, copyist, collector and art dealer mainly active in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art patronage of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham</span>

George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham commissioned works of art to enhance his personal image, as a means to aid his political career and advancement at court.

References