A Man Mounting a Horse

About this artwork

Anthony van Dyck's *A Man Mounting a Horse (ca. 1630) is a captivating oil sketch on wood, measuring just 10 x 8 3/4 inches, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art European Paintings department. Created during the artist's time in Italy, where he honed his portraiture amid the Genoese nobility, this intimate study exemplifies Flemish Baroque dynamism. Van Dyck, a protégé of Peter Paul Rubens, masterfully captured the fluid motion of a rider swinging onto his steed, blending realism with elegant poise. The small scale and oil medium suggest this was likely a preparatory *bozzetto*—a quick, luminous sketch for a larger composition—highlighting Van Dyck's virtuoso technique. Loose brushwork conveys energy and anatomy, with dramatic light modeling the figures' forms against a minimal background. Horses and equestrian themes recur in his oeuvre, symbolizing power and nobility, reflecting the era's aristocratic ideals. This gifted work from 1949 offers a window into Van Dyck's process, whose style profoundly influenced European portraiture, especially at the English court of Charles I. A perfect gem for savoring Baroque grace up close!