Portrait of Hendrick van Balen

Anthony van Dyck

about 1627–1632

Black chalk, Chalk

J. Paul Getty Museum

A black chalk drawing depicts a man with a beard and curly hair, wearing a ruffled collar and a dark cloak. His left hand rests on his lap. Anthony Van Dyck's former teacher, Hendrick van Balen, lived in Antwerp and painted religious and mythological themes. Van Dyck made this portrait as a study for a print that was part of a series known as The Iconography. This series was a collection of portraits of distinguished artists, soldiers, statesmen, administrators, and scholars of the early 1600s. Using only black chalk, Van Dyck created a striking characterization of his old teacher. By placing Van Balen's right hand on the head of an antique bust while his left presses a soft cloth close to his chest, Van Dyck effectively suggested the erudition and refined personality o