Charles I

Charles I in Three Positions
Anthony Van Dyck, 1635
 Oil on Canvas

England and Scotland, rulers are known to take over these countries between 1485-1688. One of these rulers I want to discuss is Charles I, coming from an article called The Trial and Execution of Charles I by Clive Holmes, and with the focus on humanism alongside. Charles I, was born November 19, 1600, and died on January 30, 1649. From the research on whether he was loved or hated while ruling from March 27, 1625, to his execution on his death day, he was hated. From what we know is how in the article it mentions that "The king, or those who ventriloquized oh his behalf, argued that the 'cowardly-cruel' men who have instigated and then win the war, recognized that they could not be secure in the fruits of their triumph while he remained alive." (289). How this is related is how Charles I is known to be the ruler of not just England, but in Scotland and Ireland, and how much he has worked for in his lifetime. Overall, this sort tells what rules are like back in the royal high from other countries a ha time and how the people dealt while he was ruling in England.

Portrait of Charles I
Anthony Van Dyck, 1636

The portrait I chose related to Charles I is this painting, Charles I in Three Positions. Made by Anthony Van Dyck, a Flemish artist, and made in 1635. Apparently, this painting is housed in Windsors Castle since it has a history of being owned by Bernini and was stayed in Italy back in 1802 until a British art dealer purchased it in England and was known for its "historically significant artwork" and as mentioned currently at the castle and how it's said to be "as part of the superb Royal Collection that span most significant art movements since the Middle Ages." (Anthonyvandyck.org). When first reading about the artwork itself, apparently, he was into the arts and built the finest collection in the Renaissance and Baroque era, and would mostly purchase Italian paintings and then himself. In detail, the painting has three sides of Charles 1, the front, left, and right sides of his profile. How it related to the article itself is how, "Charles was back in the corner- or had painted himself into one. The language and substance of the accusations could only admit a finding in king's guilt..." (302). This related is how he tried to not the guilt one in that manner and that when looking at the portrait to quote itself it gives a huge difference/ understanding on what he's trying to do during his trial.

The reason why I choose this ruler is that I felt interested in what he's done and what he was known for. What connects to humanism, the portrait is shown, and the ruler himself is how he would just focus on his looks and no one around him. When Humanism comes into the mix, it would have to do with the behavioral manner and the deals that people have to go through during his ruling. The way the artist contradict the theme in his work is how we think of him, Charles I, to be a nobleman during his ruling and that we would think of him to be the good person that we thought of him, but instead we know the harsh truth and the reality that people during that time doesn't like him that much. Coming from the reading, mentioning, "Charles, keenly aware of the diffidence of his 'milk- toast judges', called their bluff; but could not resist 'the temptation to push his luck'. He overplayed a strong hand and finally exhausted the patience of his judges who moved, reluctantly, to convict and execute him." The reason I added this in is that during his trial, he acts like he wouldn't care at all and his act would result in him being executed. Overall, Charles I, a ruler that people who don't like known to be self-aware till the end of time.

Of course, I attached a video on the art history of Antthony Van Dyck's contribution

Work Cited

“Charles I in Three Positions.” Charles I in Three Positions by Anthony Van Dyck, 2018, https://www.anthonyvandyck.org/charles-i-in-three-positions/.

HOLMES, CLIVE. “The Trial and Execution of Charles I.” The Historical Journal, vol. 53, no. 2, 2010, pp. 289–316., https://www.jstor.org/stable/40865689.