William Dobson

Kingdom of England · 1610–1646

William Dobson (4 March 1611 (baptised); 28 October 1646 (buried)) was an English painter who specialised in portrait painting. One of the first significant English painters, he was praised by his contemporary John Aubrey as "the most excellent painter that England has yet bred". The art critic Waldemar Januszczak describes him as the first British born painter of genius. After Dobson's first apprenticeship he joined the studio of the German-born artists Francis Cleyn. It is possible Dobson had access to the Royal Collection and copied works by Titian and Anthony van Dyck.