King John signing the Magna Carta reluctantly

What it is

This is a painting by Arthur C. Michael, who died in 1945. The painting shows a crowned king in a red robe seated at a red-draped table. He signs a document with a quill while armoured men and clergy in mitres stand around him. Red and yellow banners and spears fill the background. The painting is dated before 1945.

Why it matters

King John sealed the Magna Carta with the barons in 1215. The painting was made many centuries later, so it shows how the event was imagined by an artist, not how it was recorded at the time. The title says John signed reluctantly, a view that reflects later interpretations of his character and of the barons' pressure on him.

Look closer

• What does the king's pose and expression suggest about his mood?
• Why might a painter from a much later period choose to show the signing this way?
• What might the painting leave out about the barons and their demands?