Sir Anthony Van Dyke (March 22, 1599-December 9, 1641) was the chief painter of the court during the period of King Charles I of England. His portraits were light and noble, and influenced British portraits for nearly 150 years. Born in an affluent family in Antwerp, he showed his painting talents very early. He studied painting at the age of 10 and was already an accomplished painter at the age of 15. In a few years, he became the main assistant of Rubens. Rubens praised 19-year-old Van Dyck as "my best student". In 1621, he went to Italy, where he stayed for 6 years, drawing nourishment from the master's work. He mainly stayed in Genoa, painted portraits for the rulers of Genoa, and created a new form: the rulers are all tall images, looking down on the audience in an arrogant form.
