Lot 117: The departure of Charles II for England

William Schellinks Amsterdam 1623-1678
The departure of Charles II for England
signed (strengthened?) 'W.Schellinks' and indistinctly dated (lower right)
oil on canvas
25 1/8 x 38 3/8 in. 63.8 x 98.1 cm.

PROPERTY BELONGING TO THE ESTATE OF JOHN B. TREVOR JR.


Upon the execution of Charles I on 30 January 1649, his son became King Charles II. However, at the time, the English Parliament refused to recognize Charles as king and England entered the period known as the Interregnum. The Parliament of Scotland, on the other hand, proclaimed Charles II King of Scots on 5 February 1649. Following his defeat at the Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651, Charles fled to the continent and spent the next nine years in exile in France and the United Provinces. It was only after the collapse of the Protectorate under Richard Cromwell in 1659 that General George Monk invited Charles to return to England and assume the throne. Charles II arrived on English soil on 23 May 1660 and entered London on his thirtieth birthday, 29 May 1660.

Schellinks, a Dutch artist who traveled widely and specialized in topographical subjects, has chosen to represent the moment of Charles' departure from Holland from the perspective of the Dutch citizens lining the shore to watch. The tall masts of the Dutch ships can be seen faintly in the distance, and the spectators are delightfully individualized, with the inclusion of such details as a young boy chasing a dog at lower right, and other children scrambling to climb on top of a coach for a better view of the historic event.