Anthony van Dyck was one of the most influential Flemish painters and engravers of the Baroque period. He was the son of a wealthy silk merchant who encouraged his son’s talent from childhood. Already as an adolescent, van Dyck was a successful independent painter and was listed as a master in the documents of the Antwerp painters' guild from 1618. At this time, he was working in the studio of Peter Paul Rubens, who had a great influence on his stylistic development. In 1621, van Dyck spent a few months in London, then returned briefly to Antwerp and left for Italy the same year. He spent a lot of time in Genoa, but also in Rome and Palermo. In 1627, he returned to Flanders and, at that time, began to work on his "Iconography" series of etchings, which show portraits of famous men and in time grew to over 80 portraits. Archduchess Isabella, governor of the Spanish Netherlands, appointed van Dyck her court painter in 1630. From 1632, he was court painter to the English King Charles I in London. During this period, he worked mainly as a portraitist for the royal family and English aristocrats. His innovative portraits influenced portraitists of the following 150 years. Van Dyck was highly respected in British society, was even knighted, but planned to leave England in 1640 because of political unrest. He sought commissions in mainland Europe and made a final journey in 1641, during which he fell ill. Shortly after his return to England, van Dyck died and was buried in the choir of St Paul's Cathedral.