Portrait of King Charles II of England

1653

Philippe de Champaigne

(French, 1602–1674)

Culture

France, 17th century

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

Framed: 182 x 141 x 15 cm (71 5/8 x 55 1/2 x 5 7/8 in.); Unframed: 129.5 x 97.2 cm (51 x 38 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

The Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Collection 1959.38

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Location

210A Armor Court

Did You Know?

Charles is wearing a typical French cuirassier's armor. Meant for cavalry, the style indicates it was made around 1630 and was likely a gift as Charles would have been an infant at the time it was created.

Description

Charles II (1630–1685) fled England in 1651 during the English civil war and commissioned this portrait during his exile in France. Charles II never fought on the battlefield, but he was the last British monarch to wear a full suit of armor, which represented his rank and status. The king gestures to the sea beyond the Dover cliffs, and the waiting fleet reveals his intention to return to England, which he did in 1660.