A Courtly Presence: The Life and Art of Paulus van Somer I Paulus van Somer, a name that resonates softly within the annals of 17th-century portraiture, arrived in England from Antwerp around 1618, already possessing a maturity of style that quickly established him as a favored artist at the court of King James I. While biographical details remain somewhat elusive—a characteristic common to many artists of his era—van Somer’s impact on the visual landscape of the Jacobean period is undeniable. He wasn't merely a painter; he was a chronicler of an age, capturing the likenesses and aspirations…