Self-portrait

This self portrait of Jan Lievens in a relaxed, self-assured pose, seated against a landscape background, shows the influence of Anthony van Dyck's portrait style. It probably dates from about 1638 when Lievens was in his early thirties and living in Antwerp. Lievens shared a studio with Rembrandt in Leiden in the late 1620s but when he traveled to England he came under the powerful influence of Van Dyck. Subsequently he worked in Antwerp, Amsterdam and The Hague. (http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk)