Charles I 1650 - 1670

Editor: Here we have Wenceslaus Hollar’s "Charles I," an engraving made sometime between 1650 and 1670. The tiny scale and ornate frame give it an intimate, almost precious feeling. What historical layers do you see in this portrait? Curator: Absolutely, its preciousness belies a very turbulent and violent moment in British history. Consider that this image was created after Charles I's execution in 1649. The inscription, *Deus Meus Est Rupes Mea*, is Latin for “God is my rock”, referencing Psalm 18. Editor: So, it's invoking divine right even after the king has been overthrown and executed? Curator: Precisely! It’s a strategic piece of royalist propaganda meant to create a particular memory, or myth, around Charles I. Look at the careful construction of his image. Does it strike you as honest, straightforward? Or something else? Editor: I see your point. The lace collar, the carefully groomed beard… he's presented as refined, almost saintly. The portrait obscures the power struggles of the time, including the English Civil War, and Charles’s own role in creating division within the country. Curator: Exactly. It prompts us to ask: Whose story is being told, and for what purpose? How does it erase other narratives from the period? We should critically examine whose perspectives are highlighted and suppressed. It reveals how representation can shape collective memory and obscure marginalized voices. Editor: That's fascinating. It really puts the portrait in a new, much more complicated light for me. I had considered the subject, but not so much the object's role in shaping historical narrative. Curator: It's a good reminder to stay critical. Considering power dynamics can teach us so much.