The Sale of the Late King’s Goods: Charles I and his Art Collection
£3.20
`So wonderful and glorious a collection, that the like will never again be met with.’ This is how one awed and wistful observer described King Charles’ artworks. As an acquirer of paintings by Europe’s great masters and patron of Rubens and Van Dyck, Charles’s extravagance in amassing his collection only exacerbated the parliamentary disapproval that led to civil war and the King’s own execution. After his death, one of the Commonwealth’s first decrees was to sell off his treasures to raise money for the new regime. After the Restoration, one of Charles II’s first resolutions was to get the collection back.
Jerry Brotton tells the remarkable story of the king and his pictures: their acquisition, dispersal and eventual recovery. He reveals a world in which diplomats doubled as art dealers, and in which the king’s plumber could be temporary owner of Bassano’s The Flood. This is a vivid portrait of a tragic king and his decadent court, set against the backdrop of political conflict and civil war, which also offers a new and compelling perspective on art and the evolution of collecting in England.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Macmillan, Unabridged edition (7 April 2006) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 464 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1405041528 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1405041522 |
| Dimensions | 15.24 x 3.18 x 22.86 cm |
by Marc watson
Anyone with a fascination of Charles I and how he lived will love this book. Marc.
by Andrew Ball
Just bought house that was visited by Charles I so I am getting into the history of this King. Fascinating read!
by M.J. Urban
Arrived promptly as usual – but haven’t yet had the time to read it.However, it looks as if it’s going to be a great read – when I’m able to sit down and enjoy ir!
by Zouk
For anybody interested in Art History and Art Appreciation this is a thoroughly absorbing book. It’s amazing that so much art has survived the various perturbations it was subjected to. Strongly recommended.
by Welliehell
Like historical content as I have often wondered what Cromwell did with the King’s possessions. Only up to page 87 as I have several books on the go.
by Amazon Customer
This is certainly easy to read, but the author has not done very much original research, and he doesn’t seem to be able to read other languages; his sources are limited. If you know nothing about Charles I and the art he bought this is OK, but for art historians there are better sources.
by JFK
A most interesting read – very good for nerdy historians!
by Neville Filar
A very detailed account of a historically fascinating and unique sale. Perhaps over detailed for the amateur art historian. Analysis of 17th century documentation was a bit more than I expected but it’s far better to have more detail than you perhaps need than not enough. The tale is well told and referenced. There are important pictures included and all and all I was fascinated and gripped throughout. Having seen RA exhibition twice I was struck even before I read the book by the facet that the Royal Collection is so under represented. The final pages of the book explain why and make a compelling case for far greater access to it.