Lucas van Uffel (died 1637)

The Flemish merchant and art collector Lucas van Uffel sits half-turned toward us, his long fingers resting lightly on the arm of his chair. Anthony van Dyck painted this portrait around 1622, early in his dazzling career, when he had already learned from Rubens how to make a sitter look effortlessly elegant. The creamy lace collar and the silvery light on the sleeve are painted with the bravura that would make van Dyck the most sought-after portraitist of his age.