|
Date: |
|
Description: | A partial, early copy of the original by Van Dyck in the Royal Collection, showing Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria, with their children Charles, Prince of Wales and Princess Mary, painted in 1632 shortly after the artist's arrival in England. The painting now at Marble Hill includes only the left half of the original family portrait; it shows Charles I with his two year old son Charles, Prince of Wales. The painting is both a powerful image of dynastic descent, and a sensitive representation of father and son. Dominating the canvas, drawn life-size, is the figure of King Charles wearing the blue ribbon and star of the Garter. He is elegantly dressed in a black doublet embroidered in silver over which he wears a black mantle with the star of the Garter again visible at his shoulder, the mauve lining of his cloak matches his stockings. Behind him towers a classical column, both a noble architectural feature and a traditional emblem of fortitude. His right arm extends to the right coming to rest on a table both enclosing his son, who stands at his knee, in a protective gesture and drawing our attention to the emblems of monarchy: the crown, orb and sceptre. Not incidentally these emblems of power are vertically aligned above the crown prince, as is the distant view of Westminster where the future King's coronation would take place. | Subjects: | portrait (King Charles I Prince Charles later King Charles II) | Source: | Vads | Creator: | Artist: Dyck, Anthony van (Flemish painter, 1599-1641, active in England) Æ After | Identifier: | http://www.vads.ac.uk/large.php?uid=8725... | Go to resource |
|
|