Portrait of Henriette Marie, Queen of England, Wife of Charles I

unknown (Copy after Anthony van Dyck)

Basic information

ID: Ж-171
Author: unknown (Copy after Anthony van Dyck)
Name: Portrait of Henriette Marie, Queen of England, Wife of Charles I
Date of creation: early 19th c.
Technique: oil painting
Material: canvas oil
Dimensions (height x width, cm): 69.5 x 58

Additionally

Type: painting
Genre: portraiture
Plot: Portrait of Henriette Marie (Queen of England)
Provenance: Collection of Lviv City Gallery
Exposition: Potocki Palace

Information about author

Author: unknown (Copy after Anthony van Dyck)
Country

Object description

The copy of the Queen's portrait (originally by Anthony van Dyck) was received from the collection of Lviv City Gallery. Henriette Marie was the daughter of Henry IV and Marie de Medici. She married the future King Charles I at the age of 15. It was an unprecedented case of a Catholic princess marrying a Protestant heir. Their marriage began with differences, but they eventually built a happy family. The monarch often consulted his wife's opinion. The couple had nine children (seven of whom survived). During the English Revolution, the royal family was exiled from the country, and Charles was executed. Having learnt this, Henriette Marie wore a simple black dress for the rest of her life. She returned to England only when her son Charles II ascended to the throne. In the late eighteenth century, a passionate portrait collector bought van Dyck's image of the Queen. He subsequently went bankrupt, and the portrait was copied many times. "Portrait of Henriette Marie" was one of Anthony van Dyck's most brilliant late works. Henriette Marie, the wife of King Charles I, was not considered the most attractive woman, yet the artist managed to endow her with natural beauty. The portrait shows a pleasant, waist-up image of a young woman. The Queen appears before the viewer in an elegant, simple white dress with lace. She wears a pearl necklace around her neck and a cross on her chest. Despite her status, there is no arrogance in her gaze or posture.

Portrayed person