Sir Anthony Van Dyck, impressed at an early stage by the popularity of portraits, became one of the greatest portraitists of his time, both in painting and prints. Van Dyck received his early training in the shop of Peter Paul Rubens. Rubens noticed the great talent in his pupil and assigned him the task of translating his paintings to drawings, from which engravers would then make prints. Van Dyck left Rubens' shop, however, when the master began to fear that the pupil was surpassing him.4 While in his twenties, young Van Dyck traveled to Italy and remained there for six years. On his return in 1626, he began work on the project that popularized the portrait print for the rest of the century, his Iconography.

The plan for the Iconography got its beginnings in eighteen portraits etched by Van Dyck himself. Consisting mostly of likenesses of his friends, twelve of whom were artists, the prints were probably meant to be sold individually to the publisher Martinus van den Enden.5 Perhaps sensing a lack of response to his etchings, Van Dyck simply designed the rest of the portraits by drawing them for his school of reproductive engravers, who would then translate them into engravings. Portraits of this type were produced quickly. They included princes, military commanders, statesmen, philosophers, artists and collectors. In 1641, the eighty-four portraits by Van Dyck were published by van den Enden. Four years later, the portraits were republished by Gilles Hendricz with the original eighteen done by Van Dyck slightly retouched.6 Following that publication, the Iconography would go through many editions, with more portraits added each time. It would be the single most popular collection of portraits of the century. 

The print in the Wake Forest collection is one of the eighteen etchings done by Van Dyck before the Iconography was published. The sitter, Jan de Wael, was an artist friend of Van Dyck. Van Dyck etched the portrait in a very sketchy manner, finishing only the face. Due to popular Flemish taste, engravers would add an engraved background to the existing image; collectors wanted darkened backgrounds.7 For the portrait of Jan de Wael, a background only was added for the 1645 edition of the Iconography. Later, an arm would be engraved in for further editions. The print in the Wake Forest collection is a state before the arm was added. 

Number 116 in the collection is also a reflection of the popularity of portraits in the seventeenth century. Jean Morin, the engraver, was an artist working in France. During the reigns of Louis XIII and Louis XIV, there was a growing trend for large engraved portraits. These portraits would be used as frontispieces in a wide variety of academic and popular books.8 Altogether, Morin did four portraits after Van Dyck, whose portraits were by then very popular all over Europe. The lady in this portrait is Anne Sophie Herbert, Countess of Carnarvon. Van Dyck's original drawing of her was probably done after he moved to England, since the Herberts were a very influential family in Great Britain at this time. Morin framed most of his portraits, as he did the one of the Countess, in an octagonal frame. He had a delicate manner of printmaking. His style consisted of combining etching and engraving to create a richness of tone, comparable to Pieter Soutman in Holland.9 This can be seen in the subtlety of textures in the Countess' face and jewelry.

K.H. 

1. Ivins, 1969, 121. 
2. Ackley, 1981, xl. 
3. Ackley, 1981, xl. 
4. Brown, 1991, 17. 
5. Brown, 1991, 190. 
6. Mongan, 1943, 77. 
7. Mayor, 1971, 433-434. 
8. Ivins, 1967, 105. 
9. Hind, 1963, 144.