Henry I, King of England 

This anonymous engraving depicts Henry the First, King of England, and is filled with the iconography of power. The image constructs meaning through the king’s regalia, and most notably, the crown and scepter. It may have been created for a book of English monarchs, and it presents Henry as a regal, powerful figure. He appears in ceremonial robes, holding the symbols of royal authority, communicating a sense of his dominion and right to rule. When analyzing such images, historians seek to understand the prevailing assumptions about authority and kingship at the time it was made. Was it made during his lifetime, or later? How was his reign later regarded? What sources would we need to consult to understand the artist’s intentions and the patron’s priorities? The meaning of this image, like all works of art, is contingent on such social and institutional contexts.