Van Dyck, Anthony (1599-1641)
The Entry of Christ into Jerusalem
c.1617
Oil on canvas, 151 × 229.2 cm
Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis
In 1618, Peter Paul Rubens referred to the young Anthony van Dyck as “the best of my pupils.” This painting, which may have been created as early as 1617, when the artist was only 18 years old, provides a clear demonstration of Van Dyck‘s remarkably precocious talent. He was already a master of Rubens‘s epic baroque style, seen in the muscular figure who stoops to cast a branch in Christ’s path. The coarse realism of this figure and his companions, together with the crowded restlessness of the composition, are hallmarks of Van Dyck‘s youthful style. (IMA)