When Anthony van Dyck painted Portrait of Marie de Raet in 1631, he was newly arrived in Antwerp after years in England and Italy, and this commission marked his entry into the world of wealthy Flemish patrons. Marie de Raet was the young wife of Jacques van Ophem, a prominent Brussels nobleman, and her portrait was likely intended to celebrate her recent marriage. The painting forms a pair with Van Dyck’s portrait of her husband, a double commission that was fashionable among the elite of the Spanish Netherlands.

The couple’s status and the artist’s rising fame made these works highly desirable in their day. Marie de Raet appears in three-quarter view, her gaze steady and direct, dressed in the rich black silk and delicate lace that signified both her wealth and her virtue. A heavy gold chain drapes across her chest, a token of her family’s prosperity, while the soft fall of her hand at her waist hints at restraint and composure. The light, characteristically gentle in Van Dyck’s portraits, caresses her face and hands, drawing the viewer’s eye to her calm expression.

Unlike the more formal, rigid portraits of Rubens, Van Dyck’s approach here is intimate, emphasizing the sitter’s individuality over mere display of rank. The exact provenance of Portrait of Marie de Raet is not fully documented, but it is known that the paired portraits remained together in private collections for centuries. Over time, they have been separated and reunited, passing through the hands of collectors in Belgium and beyond. Today, Portrait of Marie de Raet is recognized as a key example of Van Dyck’s mature Flemish period, reflecting his synthesis of Italian elegance with Northern realism.

Its enduring appeal lies in the artist’s ability to capture both the social standing and the inner life of his sitter, a hallmark of his portraiture.