The House of York 1796

Philippe Jacques de Loutherbourg created this ink and wash drawing titled 'The House of York' in 1796. The artist presents a jumble of objects, including armor, weapons, roses, and a severed head, alluding to the English royal House of York. Made in England, this drawing visually references the 15th-century Wars of the Roses, a series of dynastic wars between the House of York and the House of Lancaster. By the late 1790s, when this drawing was made, England was again at war, this time with revolutionary France. The drawing taps into a longer history of English conflict, suggesting that war is both destructive and ever-present. By focusing on such imagery, we can investigate the artist’s understanding of English history and the ways in which that history has been deployed to comment on contemporary issues. Researching period documents such as political pamphlets and newspaper articles can further illuminate our understanding of the social context in which this drawing was made.