Portrait of a musician
Dobson is regarded as our first native-born English painter of distinction - prior to him, painting in England was dominated by foreign visitors like Gheeraedts. The patterns and rich colours of 15th and 16th century Venetian art shape his distinguished style, which found favour at the Court of Charles I during the Civil War. Van Dyck's (1599-1641) influence permeates the freer handling of paint, and the pose of his sitters. The inclusion here of two figures playing lutes (upper right) and a roll of music (?) in the man's hand suggests that the subject is a musician. Statues and symbols are common inclusions in Dobson's work, reflecting his classical learning.
