The Painter Jan de Wael and His Wife Geertruid de Jode,

A personal connection between Van Dyck and the figures portrayed underlies this portrait: they are the parents of Cornelis and Lucas de Wael, with whom the painter lived during his time in Genoa and whom he also captured in a double portrait. Jan de Wael was a history painter and held a number of public offices: in 1595 he was appointed dean of the Guild of St Luke in Antwerp and was also chairman of the Bowman’s Guild, whose coat of arms he bears on his sleeve. His wife came from a well-known family of copperplate engravers.