In 1618, Peter Paul Rubens referred to the young Anthony van Dyck as "the best of my pupils."  This painting, which may have been created as early as 1617, when the artist was only 18 years old, provides a clear demonstration of Van Dyck's remarkably precocious talent. He was already a master of Rubens's epic baroque style, seen in the muscular figure who stoops to cast a branch in Christ's path. The coarse realism of this figure and his companions, together with the crowded restlessness of the composition, are hallmarks of Van Dyck's youthful style.

In 1618, Peter Paul Rubens referred to the young Anthony van Dyck as “the best of my pupils.” An important example of Van Dyck’s precocious talent, The Entry of Christ into Jerusalem may have been painted as early as 1617, when the artist, still a member of Rubens’s workshop, was only eighteen years old. He was already a master of Rubens’s epic Baroque style, conspicuously evident in the muscular figure who stoops to lay a branch in Christ’s path. The coarse realism of this figure and his companions, together with the crowded restlessness of the composition itself, are hallmarks of Van Dyck’s youthful style. This “rough style,” with its thick, slashing brushwork and brilliant colors, is quite different from Rubens’s more refined manner.

Van Dyck’s representation of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem closely follows gospel accounts. He rides on the back of an ass’s foal, the small animal barely visible beneath Christ’s voluminous blue and crimson robes. His disciples accompany him on foot toward the city, where they are met by a crowd of people who have come to welcome him. Christ’s triumphant entry is commemorated on Palm Sunday, signaling the beginning of Holy Week.