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Secondary sourcePainting1728

The Apotheosis, or Death of the King

Bernard Baron · 1728

A 1728 engraving showing Charles I being carried to heaven by angels after his execution, reflecting his later image as a Christian martyr.

This later engraving depicts Charles I's execution and promotes his image as a martyr nearly a century after his death.

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Engraving titled 'The Beheading of K. Charles the I.' with an allegorical scene: a bearded king in robes is lifted on clouds by two winged women, with cherubs and a radiant light above. A seated Britannia with a spear and shield looks upward at left. At lower right, a crowd and a classical building with a scaffold are seen. Text is printed along the bottom margin.
Bernard Baron, The Apotheosis, or, Death of the King, 1728.

About this source

What it is

This 1728 engraving by French engraver Bernard Baron shows Charles I being lifted to heaven by angels while a figure of Britannia looks on in shame, with his execution shown in the background. It reflects the Church of England's later view of Charles as a Christian martyr.

Why it matters

Made almost a century after Charles's death, this engraving shows how his reputation was deliberately shaped long after the events of the Civil War. It reveals how later generations used religious and allegorical imagery to turn a controversial political execution into a story of sacred martyrdom.

Look closer

  • Why is Britannia shown looking ashamed, and what message does that send?
  • How does showing the execution in the background change how we read the main scene?
  • What does this image suggest about who commissioned or valued this kind of memory of Charles?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Charles I on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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