Lucas van Uffel (died 1637)

Lucas van Uffelen or Uffel (1586 – 1637) was a Dutch merchant and art collector. Uffelen was born in Amsterdam, but moved to Venice where he grew his art collection. When he returned to Amsterdam in 1630, he continued to collect art. When he died, many of his Italian paintings were purchased by the Reynst Collection. He had his portrait painted by Anthony van Dyck twice, once in 1622 and later in the fashionable "action" style of getting up from one's chair. He appears to be getting up to greet the viewer after studying the objects of his collection.

Created in 1627 during the Baroque period, this work belongs firmly within the daily life tradition. Anthony van Dyck worked at a moment when the rivalry between Catholic Baroque drama and Protestant restraint reshaped what a painting could mean. Every gesture, fabric, and gleam of light was decoded by contemporary viewers like a private language.

Executed in Oil on canvas, measuring 49 x 39 5/8 in. (124.5 x 100.6 cm), the surface rewards close looking. Anthony van Dyck builds the composition through layered glazes and a tightly controlled palette, letting cool shadows recede so that the warm, lit passages step forward. The brushwork shifts from the precise to the almost dissolved — a hallmark of mature Baroque practice.

“A silence so complete it becomes its own witness.”