Resumen de Anthony van Dyck's portrait of Rachel de Ruvigny, Countess of Southampton
For some years scholars have been divided about which is the primary version of Anthony Van Dyck's two portraits of Rachel de Ruvigny, Countess of Southampton, but the recent conservation treatment and technical examination of the version in the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, has brought about new information that supports the traditional hypothesis that it was the primary version. This article discusses the history of the debate over the paintings (the other one is in the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England), the differences between these two versions, the provenance of the Fitzwilliam version, modifications that Van Dyck made to the Melbourne version, and evidence showing that the Melbourne version was painted from life, not posthumously, which has forced a reconsideration of its dating and iconography; a date in the late 1630s is more plausible than 1640 or later.
