CIRCLE OF SIR ANTHONY VAN DYCK (ANTWERP 1599 - LONDON 1641) A Knight on horseback oil on oak panel circa 1630 27 x 21 cm (10 1/2 x 8 1/4 in.) PROVENANCE: Baron Courtauld Thomson, London EXHIBITION: Exposition de l'Art Belge au XVIIe Siècle , Brussels, 1910, no. 160 as : 'Cavalier (esquisse). - Bois, h. 27, l. 21 cm. M. Courtauld-Thomson-Esq, Londres.' The present work was probably painted around 1630. This type of sketch, derived from similar studies by Rubens, would have been used in Van Dyck’s studio as models for his equestrian portrait commissions. Two small sketches identical in size and subject exist, one in the Metropolitan Museum, New York (Fig. 1) and another which appeared at auction at Accademia Fine Art, Monaco on 5th April 2014 (Fig.2). A dendrochronological analysis report dates the panel to 1596. Footnote: Emails out to Susan Barnes US, Christopher Brown UK (upon Richard C J advise: CIRCLE OF) , Justin Davies BRUX (Knows of 2 other panels, one at the MET and another one in a US private collection) , NGL Curator Bart Cornelis and Ben Van Beneden (Antwerp).