ANTON VAN DYCK (1599-1641)
Portrait of the Earl of Denbigh (1633-34)
Oil on canvas 247 x 148 cm
The National Gallery, London
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William Feilding (c.1582-1643), first Earl of Denbigh, was very well-connected. In 1607 he married the sister of George Villiers, soon to become the royal favourite and eventually Duke of Buckingham; their daughter Mary was married to the king’s distant cousin and close advisor, the Marquess (later the Duke) of Hamilton.
In 1623 Denbigh accompanied Charles, then Prince of Wales, and Buckingham on their trip to Spain in search of a royal Spanish bride for the prince, a mission that ended in a failure. He served as an admiral in the unsuccessful Cadiz expedition in 1625 and commanded the disastrous operation against La Rochelle in 1628. In 1636 he was appointed English ambassador to Venice acting on the king’s behalf both conventionally as a diplomat and also as his agent in a relentless, and sometimes ruthless, pursuit of works of art for the royal collection. A man fiercely loyal to Charles I, he joined the king’s army in the Civil War and was mortally wounded in the attack on Birmingham in April 1643.
William Feilding was a colourful character: a resourceful diplomat, a brave soldier, a fine courtier and an adventurous man; from 1631 to 1633 he travelled through Persia and India, he did so in a private capacity although he carried letters from King Charles to the Shah of Persia and the Great Mogul of India.
Van Dyck chose to portray him walking in the wilderness accompanied by a young Indian servant who is pointing in the opposite direction or maybe at the parrot on top of the palm tree. The well-fed courtier’s large frame is not flattered by the garments he is wearing: a silk shirt or jacket and pyjama trousers quite practical for the heat of India. Denbigh seems startled by the vision of the colourful bird. According to Lady Denbigh, her husband had lost his way and was led to safety by his young servant. A rather picturesque and unusual portrait it must be said, but the earl was satisfied enough to present it to his powerful son-in-law.
Old Masters 