Saint Martin and the Beggar (van Dyck) Saint Martin and the Beggar (van Dyck) Saint Martin and the Beggar is a c.1618 painting of Saint Martin of Tours by the Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck. The painting portrays the saint sharing his cloak with a beggar. It had been in van Dyck's studio for some time by 1621 and may have been completed around 1618. In 1621 he was commissioned by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Brabant, Ferdinand de Boisschot, to deliver a painting of St Martin for the church dedicated to that saint in Zaventem. Van Dyck gave him this painting in fulfilment of the
Entry of Christ into Jerusalem (van Dyck) lay branches in his path. It is a very youthful, vigorous work, full of bright colors and slashing brushstrokes. The restlessness and muscularity of the figures are very Baroque. The naturalism and large size of figures gives them tremendous immediacy, lending drama to the narrative. Painted when van Dyck was only about 18, "Entry of Christ into Jerusalem" demonstrates his early mastery of the medium. He was already Peter Paul Rubens' principal assistant. While already working on developing his own, more robust style, van Dyck was heavily influenced by Rubens, as can be seen in the vibrant colors, dynamic composition,