Charles II (1649, Met-Objekt 1780)
Original title: Charles II
kurzbeschreibung
In 1649 Wenceslaus Hollar etched this portrait of the young Charles II of England. The present sheet is the second state of the etching; six states in total are known. The monarch appears in costly clothing with a lace collar and lace-trimmed breeches. The plate mark bounds the image, which measures 25.1 × 18.1 cm.
Description
To the viewer's right stands the young man, his gaze directed straight ahead. He wears an ornate garment with a lace collar and a waistcoat whose pattern suggests scales. The breeches, too, are trimmed with lace; in his right hand he holds a staff. Behind him a window opens onto a landscape with a building and trees. The arrangement is symmetrical, and light falls from the front onto his face, modelling its features. The etching remains monochrome, with sharp contours and nuanced shading.
Context
The year 1649 brought the execution of Charles I and the proclamation of the republic in England. Charles II was then living in exile on the continent. Hollar, a Bohemian engraver, worked in England and on the European mainland and portrayed numerous members of the royal family. This print belongs to a series of likenesses intended to present the heir to the throne in his future role as king, even though he was not yet reigning at the time.
Impact
The symmetrical arrangement and splendid clothing give the portrait a ceremonial, representative character. The sitter's direct gaze and the precise linework produce a calm dignity. Interior and landscape view together create spatial depth and make the portrait feel alive.
Technique
For this etching, lines were bitten into a metal plate and then printed on paper. The process allows fine, exact lines and subtle shading, as can be seen in the rendering of fabrics and lace. The second state may show reworking or corrections compared with the first, which was not unusual for seventeenth-century printmaking.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)