Portrait of King Charles II of England
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
unframed: 129.5 × 97.2 cm · framed: 182 × 141 × 15 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
European Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
The Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Collection
Accession Number
1959.38
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
male
About this artwork
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.