at the end of 1627, van dyck returned to antwerp. the portraits he painted during this period reflect the solid bourgeois character theitrs. thevan dyck's portraitsect, reve stle aspectstime of his sitters' complex personalities. in paired portraits, he explores the noti between huands and wives, and, once again, the relationship between parents and children. a wonderful naturalism marks van dyck's paintings during ts period. thfigures veryh alive. this portrait of the butiful maria uisae tais is infused with an air of ease and informality. her marvelous, captivating gaze conveys the vibrancy and warmth of her being. this effect of immediacy is underscored by van dyck's fluid brushwork, the way he paints her fashionable costume-- the slit sleeve and the delicate ribbons large-scale religious works were in demand by chches in antwerp, where the counter-reformatio had a ronghold anart s met inspire deep invvement in one's faith. in this large altarpiece, vadyck chose to focus on st. augustins reaction to his mystical vision. thsaint el