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Sir Anthony van Dyck (artist) Flemish, 1599 - 1641 Queen Henrietta Maria with Sir Jeffrey Hudson, 1633 oil on canvas Overall: 219.1 x 134.8 cm (86 1/4 x 53 1/16 in.) framed: 261.6 x 174 x 14.6 cm (103 x 68 1/2 x 5 3/4 in.) Samuel H. Kress Collection 1952.5.39 On View |
In 1632 Anthony van Dyck was invited to England to work at the court of Charles I. There he painted many impressive portraits, including this depiction of Queen Henrietta Maria at the age of twenty-four. The French-born queen exerted a strong influence on court fashion and protocol, introducing to England the fashions of the Continent; she is shown here wearing a delicate lace collar instead of the stiff Elizabethan ruff.
The queen's love of amusement is symbolized by the presence of the dwarf and monkey, both royal favorites. Jeffrey Hudson, the fourteen-year-old dwarf, had been given to her as a gift and remained a faithful companion until her death.
The portrait is a superb demonstration piece of van Dyck's working methods and the reasons for his phenomenal success. Henrietta probably posed only briefly for a sketch, so the painting itself had to be executed from a model or mannequin attired in the queen's costume. The artist shows a tall woman with an oval face, pointed chin, and long nose. According to sketches done from life, however, she actually was a tiny person with a petite figure, round head, and small features. She thus has been greatly idealized. The fluted column emphasizes her already exaggerated height, and the crown and cloth of gold signify her royalty.