Publisher's Synopsis
In the history of the British monarchy, Charles I (1600-1649) occupies without challenge the position of Prince of Patrons. His innovative art collections, drawn from continental Europe or produced at his command by court artists in England, have remained unparalleled. He founded the tapestry works at Mortlake, he patronized musicians, silversmiths, cabinet-makers, tailors, armourers and instrument-makers; he also presided over a court in which were preserved the residues of earlier enterprise by his father, James I, and by their Tudor forebears.;The physical character of the court has been reconstructed in this book in unprecented detail, on the basis of the inventories drawn up in the months following Charles's execution: here incomparable paintings were catalogued along with hunting saddles, bed linen, the royal regalia, furnishings, gems and plate from the Jewel House, and pots and pans from the court kitchens. The whole range of this material is subject to analysis by specialist authors who assess its character and its importance in contemporary European terms.
