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he prepared sketches, and submitted them to the King, but the work was probably postponed by the state of the royal finances, and the signs of approaching troubles.
He was fond of pleasure, and of expen- sive habits. His luxurious and sedentary life induced gout, and injured his fortunes, which he sought to repair in the pursuit of alchemy, then a prevalent folly. He had on settling in London, lodged among the King's painters at Blackf riars, and there he died, cut off, in the vigour of his life, December 9, 1641, and was buried in St. Paul's Cathe- dral. He left an only daughter, who mar- ried a gentleman named Stepney, and her grandson was the poet Stepney. His pecu- liar genius is displayed m nis portraits, particularly of females. Refined, elegant, exquisite in taste and colour, his art is almost unrivalled. His hands are noted for their beauty, his heads unconstrained and full of life and truth ; the action, simplicity and dignity of his figures and grace of his draperies are unsurpassed. His historical pictures, though partaking of the fine quali- ties of his portraits, do not equal them in merit. His ordinary prices were, for a half- length, 40£, a whole-length, 60/. It is said that he named an extravagant sum, 80001., for the proposed decorations for the Ban- queting House ; but the King was well able to make a bargain with him, as appears by a document in the State Paper Office, in which the King has made large deductions from his charges for portraits painted. Mr. Carpenter, of the British Museum, pub- lished, in 1844, a * Memoir of Sir Anthony Vandyck.'
VANDYKE, Peter, portrait painter. Born in 1729. He was a descendant of the
Seat Vandyck. He was invited over from olland by Sir Joshua Reynolds to assist him, particularly in his draperies, and re- mained with him for many years. He afterwards settled at Bristol, where he prac- tised as a portrait painter, and was reputed for his likenesses. He exhibited witn the Incorporated Society of Artists in 1762, a ' Diana,' an historical subject, and a por- trait ; and in 1764 ' Portraits of a Lady and Child in the Character of the Madonna.' At the Free Society in 1767 he exhibited three whole-lengths and three other por- traits. There are portraits by him of the ?>ets Coleridge and Sou they, in the National ortrait Galiery. A portrait of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1 795, is engraved, as is also a view with many figures introduced.
VAN GAELEN, Alexander, battle- painter. Practised in Holland, where he was in repute as a painter of battle pieces and animals. He followed the Court of "William III. to England, and was employed by the King to paint the Battle of the Boyne on a large scale. Settling in London, Queen Anne commissioned him to paint
her Majesty in her state coach drawn by eight horses, and accompanied by her Horse Guards. He was also commissioned by a nobleman to paint three of Charles I.'s battles.
VAN GELDER, P. M.. sculptor. Was a student of the Royal Academy, and in 1771 gained the gold medal for a bas relief of ; The Choice of Hercules,' but there is no trace of his further career.
VAN HAECKEN, Alexander, en- graver. Was born in the Netherlands in 1701, and coming to England settled in London, where he practised in mezzo-tint. There are many fine works by his hand, chiefly portraits ; among them George II. and his Queen, after Amiconi. Works by him are dated down to 1754
VANHAECKEN (or VANAKEN), Joseph, portrait painter. Was born at Antwerp, where he studied his profession. He came to England in the reign of George II., and found full employment with our face
Eainters, many of whose art did not extend eyond the head of their sitter. He added the figure with the background, and though worthy of better things, he found it to his interest to confine himself to this branch of the art. The stage coach brought him canvasses to complete from the most remote parts of England, and two painters agreed to pay him 800 guineas a year, to work only for them. His draperies were in excellent taste, natural, and extremely well painted, not unfrequently the best part of the por- trait. He died in London, July 4, 1749, aged about 50. Hogarth, who knew how essential his art was to the portrait paint- ers, caricatured them, following his coffin in procession as mourners. He left a brother who was employed in the same professional work.
VAN HOVE, Frederick Henry, en- graver. He was born at Haarlem about 1625. He came to London, where he settled, and was much employed by the booksellers on portrait frontispieces between 1648-1692. There are portraits of many eminent Englishmen of that date engraved by him. He was found murdered, October 17, 1698.
VAN LEMPUT, Remy, copyist. He was born at Antwerp, and was known as an able copyist of the works of Vandyck. He came to this country where he was chiefly employed in copying, but there are some portraits by him. He purchased at King Charles's sale the fine Vandyck portrait of the King on horseback, and was compelled to rive it up. He died in November 1675, and was buried in the churchyard at Covent Garden. His daughter was known as an artist ; she married the brother of Robert Streater the painter.
VAN LINGE, Bernard, glass painter. He was a Fleming, and came to England
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