 The pupil of Rubens, Anthony van Dyck followed his master s example by traveling to Italy as part of his artistic training. Like Rubens, he found inspiration in the Venetian Renaissance masters Titian and Giorgione. An enthusiasm for rich colors and a remarkable ability to depict the texture of fabric characterized Van Dyck s best work. But even more than Rubens, Van Dyck focused his attention on the art of the portraiture. Appointed Court Painter to the English King Charles in 1632, the portraits he produced provide an unrivaled visual insight into the noble men and women of the day, as well as displaying his technical mastery of the genre.