Portrait of the Emperor Charles V
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Bequest of Erskine Hewitt
Accession Number
1938-57-246
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Portrait of the Emperor Charles*, a rare self-portrait created by the emperor himself around 1530–35. Born in Ghent in 1500, Charles V a towering figure of the Renaissance era—a Netherlandish ruler who inherited and expanded one of history's largest empires, spanning the Holy Roman Empire,, the Netherlands, and vast territories in the Americas. At the time of this work, in his early thirties, Charles was at the height of his power, navigating wars, religious upheavals like the Protestant Reformation, and diplomatic triumphs such as the 1530 Imperial Diet at Augsburg. Classified am...