Charles II entering The Hague in a carriage with the Mauritshuis on the right; from 'Verhael van de Reys van Carel II, Coning van Groot-Brittannië, in Hollandt van 25 Mey tot 2 Junij 1660'
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 13 1/16 × 15 7/8 in. (33.2 × 40.3 cm) Plate: 12 1/8 × 15 1/4 in. (30.8 × 38.7 cm)
Classification
Prints|Prints-Fete|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1956
Accession Number
56.597.91
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
This engraving, created in 1660 by artists Jan Hendrikz. V and Pieter Philippe, captures triumphant moment from *Verhael van de Reys van Carel II, Coning van Groot-Bannië, in Holland van 25 Mey tot 2 Junij 1660*: King Charles II of England entering The Hague in a grand carriage, with the newly built Mauritshuis palace prominently on the right. The scene buzzes with horses, cheering crowds, coats of arms, and ornate architecture, vividly documenting a key stop on Charles's journey home after years in exile. Historically, this depicts the eve of the Restoration, when Charles II—displaced by the English Civil War and Oliver Cromwell's republic—traveled through the Dutch Republic before his joyful return to London as king. Printed swiftly to commemorate the event, such engravings spread news rapidly across Europe, blending journalism with celebratory propaganda and immortalizing the pomp of royal processions. As a fine example of 17th-century Dutch printmaking, the technique's intricate lines convey depth, texture, and lively detail on a modest sheet (13 1/16 × 15 7/8 in.). Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Elisha Whittelsey Collection, it highlights engraving's role in capturing fleeting historical spectacles for a wide audience, bridging art and public memory.
About the Artist
Jan Hendrikz. Vliet|Pieter Philippe (Dutch|Flemish) · |1628 – |1720
Dutch|Flemish, ca. 1635–after 1701