Alex de Andreis (1871–1939) was a Belgian-born painter who achieved great acclaim in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for his masterful Romanticized Genre paintings. Though he lived during the modern era, de Andreis was spiritually a student of the 17th-century Golden Age, specializing in high-drama "costume paintings" that depicted cavaliers, musketeers, and noblemen. His early life as a soldier in the service of the Swedish and Spanish crowns heavily influenced his artistic focus, providing him with an intimate understanding of military posture and regalia. De Andreis became a favorite among collectors for his "broad and confident" technique, which captured the shimmering light on velvet cloaks, the intricate lace of ruffs, and the cold gleam of steel rapiers. Famous works like The Red Cavalier and Portrait of a Musketeer showcase his ability to imbue his subjects with a sense of gallantry and "bygone age" charm. For a cross stitcher, a de Andreis design is a masterclass in texture; the rich crimsons and deep shadows of his palette translate into stunningly realistic needlework that brings the chivalry and grandeur of the Baroque era right to your needle.