Charles I
Original title: Charles I
kurzbeschreibung
Wenceslaus Hollar made this portrait of King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1649. It is an etching after a painting by Anthony van Dyck. The monarch appears in a three-quarter view, wearing a hat, a wig and an order star.
Description
A large black triangular hat and a long, wavy wig shape the king's appearance. On his chest, a star badge catches the eye. Behind the figure lies a landscape with buildings and a river. Along the lower edge runs a Latin dedication: 'Serenissimus Princeps Carolus D:G: Angliae, Scotiae & Hiberniae, Rex, etc.' The inscriptions 'Ant. van Dyck pinxit' and 'W. Hollar fecit, 1649' name the painter and the etcher.
Context
This print was made in 1649, the year Charles I was executed in the English Civil War. Hollar, an etcher from Bohemia, worked in England and engraved after a painting by Anthony van Dyck, the king's leading court painter. The etching appeared as a standalone sheet and shows the king in a representative pose — given the political situation, this can be read as a royalist stance.
Impact
The calm pose and delicate lines give the image a dignified, almost melancholy mood. The dark hat stands out clearly against the light wig and draws attention to the monarch's face. Despite its technical precision, this countenance seems distant and aloof.
Technique
Hollar used etching, of which two states are known; this is the first. The sheet is trimmed to the plate mark and measures 14.7 × 10.4 cm. The technique allows fine, linear hatching that renders fabric and hair textures in detail.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)