Artwork
Head of a bearded Man wearing a Wheel Ruff
Head of a bearded Man wearing a Wheel Ruff is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Anthony van Dyck. It dates from 1628 and is held in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum.
About this work
Overview
Head of a Bearded Man Wearing a Wheel Ruff is a 1628 oil painting by Sir Anthony van Dyck, a prominent Flemish Baroque artist.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts a bearded man, believed to be a politician, wearing a dark shirt with an elaborate white wheel ruff collar, a fashion associated with wealth and status.
Technique & Style
The painting showcases van Dyck's skillful use of chiaroscuro, a technique that utilizes strong contrasts between light and dark to create a sense of depth and focus on the subject's face and shoulders.
History & Provenance
The work is now part of the Ashmolean Museum's collection, having been created by van Dyck, who was trained under Peter Paul Rubens and became a master in the Guild of Saint Luke by 1617.
Artist & collection
Artist
Sir Anthony van Dyck (; Dutch: Antoon van Dijck ; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Flemish Baroque artist, who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Spanish Netherlands and Italy.
Portrait of a man (maybe Phillip Rubens)
Philippe Rubens, the Artist's Brother
Portrait of a man
Autoportret
Sebastiaan Leerse, Antwerp Merchant
Portrait of Jan Brant
Portrait of a Man
Portrait of Pieter Sonmans, Director of the Rotterdam Chamber of the Dutch East India Company, elected 1631
Portrait of a man in a frill
Portrait of the painter Jan Brueghel
Portrait of a Bearded Man with a Ruff