King John Signs Magna Carta

What it is

This is a black-and-white engraved illustration titled 'King John Signing the Great Charter'. It comes from Cassell's History of England and dates to about 1902. A scan of it was made by Tagishsimon for Wikimedia Commons. It shows a crowned king leaning over a table to sign a large parchment, surrounded by bishops in mitres, armoured knights with shields and spears, and a hooded monk in the foreground. Tents appear in the background.

Why it matters

The picture was made about 687 years after the charter was agreed in 1215. It shows how Victorian artists imagined King John and the making of Magna Carta. The scene shows the king as the central figure of the agreement, with the church and the nobility gathered around him. Its details reflect the later period's ideas more than the facts of 1215.

Look closer

• Who is shown as most important in the picture, and how does the artist show this?
• Why might a history book from around 1902 choose to show a signing scene rather than the charter's text?
• What might this illustration leave out about the barons and the conflict behind the charter?