Background
William Dobson was born approximately on February 24, 1611 in London, United Kingdom. On March 4, 1611, he was baptized. Dobson was a son of a lawyer, whose name was also William Dobson.
William Dobson was born approximately on February 24, 1611 in London, United Kingdom. On March 4, 1611, he was baptized. Dobson was a son of a lawyer, whose name was also William Dobson.
Initially, Dobson trained with the painter and printseller William Peake, learning the trade of art dealing. Some time later, he gain access to the Royal Collection, where he studied great works of Van Dyck, Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese.
Around 1632, after completing his seven-year training, Dobson went to work for the German artist Francis Cleyn. It is possible, that they collaborated on the surviving tapestries at Ham House.
After the death of Van Dyck in 1641, William took his place as a court painter. During the English Civil War, Dobson worked at the royalist center in Oxford and created many portraits of gentlemen, who were the supporters of the King of England. William also painted portraits of James II of England, Prince Rupert of the Rhine and other noblemen.
After Oxford fell to the Parliamentarians, in June 1646, the painter came back to London. There, he was briefly imprisoned for debt and died in poverty at the age of thirty-six.
Dobson’s art was incredibly inventive for the times. He nearly always used a square canvas, with most of his sitters painted from the knees up, making them appear chunky and solid. This was in stark contrast to the tall and elegant portraits, produced by his predecessor Van Dyck. He also developed a unique style of allegorical portrait, using symbolical references to mark who his sitters were. Dobson almost always considered the life of his subjects and gave them appropriate symbols, something, that was unprecedented in British portraiture.
Portrait of Richard Neville
Portrait of Sir Edward Dering
Allegorical Portrait of Charles II of England When Prince of Wales
Nicholas Oudart
Portrait
Sir Thomas Aylesbury
The Painter with Charles Cottrell and Balthasar Gerbier
Porträt Eines Marineoffiziers
Portrait of Endymion Porter
Portrait of Edward Hyde
Richard Lovelace
Prinz Rupprecht Von Der Pfalz
Edward Nicholas
Portrait of Richard Streatfeild Family
Self Portrait
John Byron, 1st Baron Byron
Self Portrait
The Executioner with the Head of John the Baptist
Portrait of Richard Fanshawe
Circle of William Dobson, Sir Charles Coote, 1st Earl of Mountrath, 2nd Baronet Coote
Portrait of Abraham van der Doort
Portrait of Henry Stone with His Son
Portrait of Nathaniel Lee
William was married twice. His first wife was Elizabeth Dobson, who died in 1634. On December 18, 1637, Dobson married Judith Sander, who survived him.