A Genoese Lady with Her Child
1624
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1624
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
A woman in a shimmering silver dress holds a small child on her lap. The child clutches a red coral teething toy while looking away. Light glows on their faces and the woman’s pearls. Before this, portraits of rich people were stiff and full of props to show off wealth. Van Dyck made them feel alive—like real people, not statues. Genoa’s elite were so impressed they changed how they wanted to be painted. To see how he did it, look at other portraits by Anthony van Dyck (Flemish, 1599–1641).
