Van Dyek also designed for the school of en gravers which Rubens had founded, his plates being executed by Paulus Pontius, Lucas Vo•ster, and others. He himself etched about 22 plates with fine technique; but he generally preferred to etch only the heads, leaving the detail to en gravers. During his stay in Italy he began to collect materials for an iconographic work por traying the chief celebrities of the clay. The studies in grisqillc are dispersed over Europe, but the complete work was published at Antwerp in 1641. It is usually known as Van Dyek's Centum Icones or Icanographim For some time Van Dyck had been receiving overtures from the English King, instigated by the Earl of Arundel and his friend Kenelm Dig by. He had been persuaded in 1621, but, differ ences arising, he went instead to Holland. There he portrayed Prince Henry of Orange and the Princes Charles Louis and Rupert. sons of the exiled King of Bohemia (Vienna Gallery). At this time, probably, occurred his visit to Frans Hals at Haarlem, which romancers have elab orated upon. Upon his arrival in England (1632) the King assigned him a house in Black friars (London) and apartments in the royal palace of Eltham for the summer; he was knighted and named painter in ordinary to their Majesties, and the year following was granted a yearly pension of f200. The portraits of the royal family which lie now' began are perhaps his best known works. Among these are Charles T., the Queen, and their children, and Charles I. on horseback, at Windsor; an equestrian portrait of the King in the National Gallery; the por traits of the King and Queen at Saint Peters burg, and at Dresden, and "Charles I. Hunting," in the Louvre. In 1634 Van Dyck returned to Antwerp, where he portrayed the new 11egent, Don Ferdinand of Austria (Madrid), and the family of Count John of Nassau ( Panshanger), and painted his remarkable picture of the "Mag istracy of Brussels in Session." From 1635 to 1640 lie resided in England, and there he painted the host of aneestral portraits scattered throughout the seats of the English nobility. Only the sketch and the finishing, touches of the paintings of this period are by the master him self, the rest being left to assistants. Among the
most charming are the two celebrated groups of the King's children, the three with the spaniel (1635, Dresden), and five with the great Dane (1637, Windsor). Most of his works exist in replieas, and all important museums of Europe and the United States possess examples.
On the death of Rubens in 1640 Van Dyck was invited to Antwerp to complete his pictures for the King of Spain, but declined. In 164] he went. to Paris, but was disappointed in his hopes of a commission to decorate the Louvre. in fail ing health he returned to London, where he died December 9th. Ile was a limo of refined char acter and aristocratic bearing, remaining all his life the pittore carafietcsco of his colleagues in Italy. These traits are very perceptible in the many portraits of himself which lie painted, in the beautiful youthful example at Munich as in the mature- work in the Uflizi. From his youth he was a favorite of the tan- sex, and many were his adventures; but in 1640, at the King's wish, he married Mary Ruthven, a Court lady of noble descent.
Van Dyck's character made him pin' excellence the portraitist of the aristocracy; his portraits are aristocratic and refined, usually with a touch of melancholy, sometimes, indeed, seeming almost posed and sentimental. Much modern sympathy for the cause of the roistering Cavaliers of Eng land is based upon his noble portraits of Charles I. and his followers. In him Flemish realism was tempered by the refining influence of Italy, manifesting itself in more subdued coloring and increased nobility of form. What Rubens sought to express by dramatic action he showed by intensity of expression. Van Dyck trained a large number of assistants, but did not form a school. lle had a great influence upon the later English portraitists, like Reynolds, Gainsborough, and Lawrence. Consult the biographies by Car penter (London, 1844), Head (London, 1877), (Paris, 1881 ) . Gni tTrey ( ib.. 1882 ) , Knaekfuss (Bielefeld, 1S96), and Cust (London, 1900).