Title

'Charles I after his Execution with his Head Stitched on', 1660s. Artist: Unknown

Caption

'Charles I after his Execution with his Head Stitched on', 1660s. The dead Charles I is shown with stitches joining his head back on to his body, after his public beheading outside the Banqueting House, Whitehall, London, on 30th January 1649. It is not clear whether this gruesome reconstruction is based on fact, but the king is shown here with dark hair where in reality he had gone grey by this time. The elaborate lace collar which he would have worn has been dispensed with because of the need to show his neck. The combination of the posthumous portrait with three allegorical figures makes for a rather incongruous composition. The lamenting women with revealing necklines represent England, Scotland and Wales.
Museum of London

Date

1660

Credit line

Photo12/Heritage Images/Museum of London

Reference

HRM19A82_355

Model release

No

License type

Rights managed

Available size

50,0Mb (5,5Mb) / 16,9in x 11,5in / 5061 x 3453 (300dpi)

Keywords

England female women woman people male man men Wales country body monarch patriotism guy clothes beard color colour dead king Scotland neck royal death robes robe crying dress location century breast sadness STITCHING cry bearded royalty crown lady concept breasts grief weeping misery sorrow 17th century stitch allegory lamenting lament decolletage stitched allegorical figure martyr seventeenth century Museum of London artistic school executed martyrdom martyred sovereign the body King Charles I Charles I Allegory portrait oil Unknown King of Great Britain and Ireland Charles Stuart Defender of the Faith oil Allegory portrait