Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641)
Self-Portrait, ca. 1615–17
Oil on panel
14 3/8 × 10 1/8 in. (36.5 × 25.8 cm)
Rubenshuis, Antwerp
In recent decades, this portrait has generally been considered to be the work of Van Dyck’s master, Peter Paul Rubens. However, new technical research supports the traditional attribution to Van Dyck. Nonetheless, both the more formal attire and smoother manner of painting, akin to that of Rubens, present a stark contrast to another self-portrait. As Rubens’s most gifted collaborator in the second half of the 1610s, Van Dyck became particularly skilled at adapting his style to that of the older artist.