A Genoese Noblewoman and Her Son
c. 1626
Van Dyck captured the ultimate power pose of 17th-century Genoa in this striking portrait. The noblewoman’s enormous black gown and stiff lace ruff scream wealth and status, while her young son stands confidently beside her in a flashy red outfit, already learning the family business of looking important. Van Dyck painted many of these grand portraits during his Italian period, essentially inventing the blueprint for aristocratic swagger that influenced artists for centuries.