DOBSON, WILLIAM

(c. 1610-1646)

   English artist who in 1641 succeeded Anthony van Dyck as court painter to Charles I of England. Dobson's style is closely related to that of van Dyck but also shows an awareness of Titian, whose works in the royal collection he copied. During the civil war in England, Dobson was in Oxford where the king set up a temporary court. There he created a number of portraits. Among his best are the royalist Endymion Porter (c. 1643; London, Tate Gallery) and The Painter with Sirs Charles Cottrell and Balthasar Gerbier (c. 1645; Guildford, Albury Park). These works feature the same loose brushwork, shimmering fabrics, and lively compositions as the portraits by van Dyck and Titian.