Oil On Canvas Portrait Of King Charles I

17th century portrait of King Charles I, half-length, wearing armor and the badge of the Order of the Garter - After Sir Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641) This iconic image is a scaled-down version of the iconic portrait Van Dyck's three-quarter figure of King Charles I, c. 1632-33, in the Duke of Norfolk's collection at Arundel Castle, Sussex. As with many portraits of the monarch, versions were painted both to satisfy the demand for a portrait of the king in support of him during the English Civil War (1642–1651) and also to commemorate the king after his death. This is a particularly fine version, with a sensitive and striking rendering, which is in an excellent state of conservation and housed in its probably original “Lely” style frame from the 17th century. King Charles I (1600 – 1649) Charles was king of England, Scotland and Ireland from March 27, 1625 until his execution in 1649. He was born into the House of Stuart as the second son of King James VI of Scotland, but after his father inherited the English throne in 1603 and settled in England, where he spent most of the rest of his life. He became heir apparent to the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1612 on the death of his elder brother, Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales. An unsuccessful and unpopular attempt to marry him to the Spanish Habsburg princess Maria Anna resulted in an eight-month visit to Spain in 1623 that demonstrated the futility of marriage negotiation. Two years later he married Bourbon Princess Henrietta Maria of France. After his succession in 1625, Charles fell out with the English Parliament, which sought to restrict his royal prerogative. He believed in the divine right of kings and was determined to rule according to his own conscience. Many of his subjects opposed his policies, particularly the raising of taxes without the consent of Parliament, and perceived his actions as those of a tyrannical absolute monarch. His religious policies, coupled with his marriage to a Roman Catholic, generated antipathy and distrust from Reformed religious groups such as the English Puritans and the Scottish Covenanters, who thought his views were too Catholic. He supported high church Anglican clergymen and failed to successfully aid continental Protestant forces during the Thirty Years' War. His attempts to force the Church of Scotland to adopt high Anglican practices led to the Episcopal Wars, strengthened the position of the English and Scottish parliaments, and helped precipitate his own downfall. From 1642, Charles fought against the armies of the English and Scottish Parliaments in the English Civil War. After his defeat in 1645 by the parliamentary New Model Army, he fled north from his base at Oxford. Charles surrendered to a Scottish force and after lengthy negotiations between the English and Scottish parliaments, he was handed over to the Long Parliament in London. Charles refused to accept his captors' demands for a constitutional monarchy and temporarily escaped captivity in November 1647. Reimprisoned on the Isle of Wight, he forged an alliance with Scotland, but in late 1648 the New Model Army had consolidated its control over England. Charles was tried, convicted and executed for high treason in January 1649. The monarchy was abolished and the Commonwealth of England was established as a republic. The monarchy was returned to Charles's son, Charles II, in 1660. Sir Anthony van Dyck (22 March 1599–1641) Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter of England, having enjoyed great success in Italy and in Flanders. He is most famous for his portraits of Charles I of England, his family and his court, painted with a relaxed elegance that would be the dominant influence on English portraiture over the next 150 years. Provenance: Leeds Castle Kent on long-term loan from the Robertson family - Glasgow until its demise. Literature: Mrs Day's List, 2gns; Inventory of 1848, p.6, under the name of Charles II Images in higher resolution on request. Worldwide shipping available. Canvas: 30" x 25" / 76cm x 63cm. Frame: 36.5" x 32" / 93cm x 81cm.