William Dobson

William Dobson 4 March 1611 (baptised); 28 October 1646 (buried)) was a portraitist and one of the first notable English painters, praised by his contemporary John Aubrey as "the most excellent painter that England has yet bred".

Dobson was born in London, the son of a lawyer also called William Dobson. He was apprenticed to William Peake and probably later joined the studio of Francis Cleyn. There is a claim that his father was a decorative artist, but this is almost certainly incorrect, and a misreading of the single known quote about Dobson Sr, by the antiquarian John Aubrey. Dobson is believed to have had access to the Royal Collection and to have copied works by Titian and Anthony van Dyck, the court painter of King Charles I of England. The colour and texture of Dobson's work was influenced by Venetian art, but Van Dyck's style has little apparent influence on Dobson. One story tells that Van Dyck himself discovered Dobson when he noticed one of the young artist's pictures in a London shop window. There is, however, no evidence to support this story, which is probably a romanticised Victorian invention, nor do we know how he gained his introduction to the King, who had Dobson paint himself, his sons and members of the court.

Little is known of Dobson's career in the 1630s, but when Van Dyck died in 1641, the opportunity arose for him to gain royal commissions from King Charles. He is said to have became serjeant painter to the king and groom of the privy chamber., however, this claim comes from only one old and as yet unverified source, and should be read with caution. During the English Civil War Dobson was based at the Royalist centre of Oxford and painted many leading Cavaliers. His portrait of the future Charles II as Prince of Wales at the age of around twelve is a notable baroque composition, and perhaps his finest work. He also painted at least the head of Duke of York, as well as portraits of leading Royalists such as Charles Lucas and John Byron, Prince Rupert of the Rhine and Prince Maurice.

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