In only two decades in the 1600s, Charles I assembled a spectacular art collection of Titan, Holbein, Durer, Rubens and Van Dyck paintings, never seen before in Britain. Art was a currency into his personal Court. Following his trial and execution in 1649 by Oliver Cromwell's Parliamentarians, these paintings played a role in the politics that followed. Art raised money for the Civil war, then became a symbol of Royal extravagance, also signifying religious allegiances. It then became a means to pay off Royal debts, with plumbers, soldiers, drapers and tailors paid in priceless paintings. Recent art research tells this story.

DELIVERY MODE

• Online

COURSE OUTLINE

• How Charles I used art to establish his status and position.
• The role that art played in dynastic marriage negotiations and religion.
• Ruben’s magnificent ceiling of the Banqueting House, London.
• The intrigues of the Sale of the Late King’s Goods.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Be familiar with the reasons Charles I collected art
2. Identify some of the famous works from his collection
3. Understand how the Restoration of Charles II brought art back into the Royal Collection
4. Know some paintings that never cam home