Group of Four Boys

after Sir Anthony van Dyck

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows four young boys with pale skin standing closely together. The central boy has wavy dark hair around his ears and is wearing a light pink garment with golden buttons and a red shawl over his shoulder. His head is turned towards us. To the right is a boy with shoulder-length reddish-blond hair, wearing a green coat with white lace shoulders and a gold chain. He is facing the left. On the left is a boy facing the right with dark, shaggy, shoulder-length hair, wearing a brown tunic with a high collar and holding a gray book or stack of papers. Partially visible behind the central boy is another boy in dark clothing on the left, facing left. In the background is a brown, rocky hill with a sculptural bust peeking through from dark green foliage on the left. There is a hint of a blue sky near the top left corner with some wisps of white clouds.