Portrait of Anna-Maria de Camudio

Portrait of Anna-Maria de Camudio
Oil on canvas on panel, 77 × 64 cm
 
This portrait represents Anna-Maria de Camudio, later Baroness of Zaventem and Countess of Erps, a Spanish noblewoman of Basque origin whose biography has been reconstructed through extensive archival research by the gallery. She served at the Brussels court of Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia as a trusted lady-in-waiting, a position requiring discretion, political awareness, and sustained proximity to power. Her long presence at court coincided with the rise of her husband, the diplomat and nobleman Ferdinand de Boisschot. The couple were notable patrons of Anthony van Dyck, commissioning several works from him, including Saint Martin and Love, still preserved in situ in the church of Zaventem.
 
Van Dyck painted a now-lost knee-length version of this composition, dated 1630 and formerly in the Arenberg Collection. Infrared reflectography of the present painting reveals significant revisions to the sitter’s costume, notably an earlier, more elaborate collar that was later replaced with a flatter lace design. Additional subtle differences, particularly in the jewellery, are visible in the final composition.