Sir Endymion Porter and the Artist, c.1635 (oil on canvas)

Sir Endymion Porter (1587-1649) friend, supporter and protector of van Dyck, secretary to the Duke of Buckingham, diplomat, art lover and patron; responsible for acquiring works of art for the collection of King Charles I; the portrait is significant also as it portrays the artist as an equal of the aristocratic Sir Endymion and thus draws attention to the high social standing of the painter as well as the strength of their friendship, symbolised by their both having their hands on the boulder together; portrait originally in the collection of Sir Endymion Porter and later acquired for the Spanish royal collection by Queen Isabel Farnese in 1745; also see 36709