s reign he
appointed Van Dyck the court painter. The Flemish painter was
thereupon made Sir Anthony Van Dyck, and remained in the royal service
until his death in 1641. It was the king's intention to have the walls
of the Banqueting Hall decorated by Van Dyck, but this plan was never
carried out. As it was, however, the court painter is said to have
made, during his nine years' residence in England, no less than
thirty-six portraits of the king, and twenty-five of the queen,
Henrietta Maria, besides many pictures of their children, singly or in
groups. His studio was a favorite resort of the royal pair, who used
to come in their barge, by the way of the Thames, to his house at
Blackfriars. The painter would receive them with the manners of a
prince. Musicians played for their entertainment, and the conversation
turned on questions of art.

In this constant intercourse, Van Dyck came to know well the face of
his royal patron. It was not really a handsome face, as we see when we
analyze the features in our illustration. The forehead is high but not
broad, the nose large and not classically modelled, and the thick lips
and weak curves of the mouth are not hidden by the upturned mustache.
The shape of the face is long and narrow beyond good proportion, but
this defect is relieved by the chestnut hair, which falls in long
waving locks over the shoulders, and makes a broad frame for the
face.

[Illustration: PORTRAIT OF CHARLES I.
_Dresden Gallery_]

All these details, however, escape our attention when we look at the
portrait for the first time. We are chiefly impressed by the kingly
presence of the man. There is an indefinable suggestion of nobility in
his bearing, an expression of grave dignity in his countenance. The
eyes are almost melancholy, the glance is averted and remote. The
consciousness of his royal birthright gives an air of aloofness to the
figure.

The king stands beside a table, resting one hand on the broad rim of
the hat which lies there, and holding his gloves in the other. He
wears the mantle of the Order of the Garter, ornamented on the left
side with the six-pointed silver star, in the centre of which is the
red cross of St. George. From a broad blue ribbon about the neck is
suspended a gold medallion. This is the "George," the image of the
warrior saint, represented on horse-back in his encounter with the
dragon.

The attempt of Charles to govern England without a Parliament proved a
sad failu