Self-portrait
after Sir Anthony Van Dyck (Antwerp 1599 - London 1641)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
circa 1675 - 1677
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
584 x 686 mm (23 x 27 in)
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Ham House, Surrey
NT 1139936
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, Self-portrait, after Sir Anthony Van Dyck (Antwerp 1599 - London 1641), circa 1675. A head-and-shoulders portrait of the artist, turned to the right, looking over his right shoulder at the spectator, shoulder-length hair, moustache, shown pointing to a sun-flower with one hand, while with the other he displays the gold chain bestowed upon him by the King, apparently identifying himself with the sun-flower and thus illustrating allegorically his devotion to the King. Several copies exist. The original, dated 1635/6, is in the collection of the Duke of Westminster.
Provenance
In 1677 catalogue and thence by descent until acquired in 1948 by HM Government when Sir Lyonel, 4th Bt (1854 – 1952) and Sir Cecil Tollemache, 5th Bt (1886 – 1969) presented Ham House to the National Trust, and entrusted to the care of the Victoria & Albert Museum, until 1990, when returned to the care of the National Trust, and to which ownership was transferred in 2002
Credit line
Ham House, The Dysart Collection (purchased by HM Government in 1948 and transferred to the National Trust in 2002)
Makers and roles
after Sir Anthony Van Dyck (Antwerp 1599 - London 1641), artist
References
Wark, Bruyn and Emmens 1956 R.R.Wark, J.Bruyn and J.A.Emmens, 'Van Dyck Self Portrait with Sunflower', Burlington Magazine, vol.XCVIII February 1956, pp,53-54 Bruyn and Emmens, 1957: J.Bruyn and J.A. Emmens, ‘The Sunflower Again’ Burlington Magazine, vol.XCIX, 1957, pp.96-97