Few portraits from the Genoese Baroque are as ambitious in scale and ambition as The Lomellini Family, commissioned by the powerful Lomellini banking dynasty during Anthony van Dyck’s celebrated stay in Genoa around 1623. The painting is remarkable for what it omits: the patriarch, Giacomo Lomellini, then Doge of Genoa, is conspicuously absent. Contemporary Genoese law forbade sitting rulers from being depicted in family portraits, a restriction that forced van Dyck to innovate, focusing instead on the Doge’s wife and children to convey the family’s status and cohesion. Van Dyck captures a moment of poised dignity: the mother, clad in sumptuous black and white, anchors the composition, surrounded by her children in a formal yet intimate arrangement.

The eldest son stands protectively beside her, his hand resting on a sibling’s shoulder—a gesture of both authority and affection. Rich fabrics, glinting jewelry, and the careful play of light on flesh and silk all signal the family’s immense wealth and social standing. The children’s serious expressions and careful placement echo the gravity of their father’s public office, while the absence at the center of the family hints at the power that lies just outside the frame.

Compared to Rubens’s more exuberant family groups, van Dyck’s approach here is restrained, emphasizing decorum over drama. After its creation, The Lomellini Family remained in Genoa for generations, a testament to the family’s enduring legacy. The painting’s authorship has never been in doubt, as van Dyck’s signature style—elegant elongation of figures, silvery palette, and psychological nuance—is unmistakable. Over the centuries, the work passed through various hands before entering a major public collection, where it stands as a highlight of van Dyck’s Italian period.

Today, it offers viewers not only a glimpse into the world of Genoese aristocracy but also a key chapter in the evolution of Baroque portraiture.