Portrait Study of a Man, Looking Left

The head studies connected with the commission of a large painting for the Brussels town hall offer a rare opportunity to examine how Van Dyck worked with the model before him. While the level of information on the sitter’s appearance exceeds that of most of the artist’s portrait drawings, they appear to have been done quickly, in short sessions, offering a lively likeness. The example shown here only resurfaced in 2000, as part of the British Broadcasting Company’s Antiques Roadshow.