The Execution of King Charles I (Title page: Engelandts Memoriael)
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 7 5/16 × 5 5/8 in. (18.5 × 14.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Joseph Verner Reed, 1950
Accession Number
50.576.136
Tags
About this artwork
This etching documents one of the most consequential political events in British history—the execution of King Charles I on January 30, 1649, following his trial for high treason. Published by Joost Hartgers (also known as Joost Hartogers), a prominent Amsterdam publisher and printmaker, this work served as the title page for "Engelandts Memoriael" (England's Memorial), a commemorative publication that brought news of this shocking regicide to Dutch and European audiences. The 17th century witne...
Art Historical Context
This etching by Amsterdam publisher and printmaker Joost Hartgers served as the title page for *Engelandts Memoriael* (England’s Memorial), a 1649 Dutch publication that brought news of King Charles I’s execution to European audiences. Created just months after the event on January 30, 1649, the print captures the dramatic scene of the king’s beheading outside the Banqueting House in London, surrounded by soldiers and a crowd of onlookers. As an etching, it was well suited for rapid production and wide circulation in an era when illustrated pamphlets were transforming how people learned about ...
About the Artist
Joost Hartgerts|Charles I, King of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland (Dutch|British) · 1640 |1600 –1650 |1649
Dutch, active 1649|British, Dunfermline, Scotland 1600–1649 London