Van Dyck, the European
Auteur(s) : Anna Orlando, Katlijne Van der Stighelen (dir.)
Exhibition at the Palazzo Ducale, Genoa, 20 March – 19 July 2026
Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641) was able to synthesise a range of approaches and sensibilities drawn from diverse backgrounds and, at the same time, translate them into innovative forms. He was a European painter in the literal sense of the word, and his artistic journey followed the course of Europe’s economic and political history. The various stages of his career took him from his native Flanders to Italy, notably Genoa, and to London, where he was commissioned to work for King Charles I of England.
Through 60 paintings, this exhibition catalogue traces Van Dyck’s story and the way in which Antwerp, Genoa and London—three dynamic cities—shaped his life and art. New sources shed fresh light on Van Dyck’s work against the backdrop of a Europe in the throes of crisis.
