Triptych showing Charles of Habsburg as the King of Spain
This beautiful triptych was painted by Jan van Battel of Mechelen in 1517-1518. Charles V is shown in the centre, as the symbol of power. Around him we see the territories that he ruled or would come to rule. The golden frame symbolises Charles V's wealth as the ruler of an empire on which the sun never set.
Birthplace of Power
Jan van Battel (1477-1557) painted this triptych for the stewards’ room in Mechelen town hall. The stewards managed the city's properties and buildings. Mechelen probably sought to demonstrate its loyalty to Charles V through this painting. At the same time the city was showing the significant role it had played in his upbringing.
The central panel shows Charles V as the King of Spain, at the centre of power. He is dressed in a red royal mantle and carries the royal regalia: the sceptre and the sword. Around him, we see the coats of arms of the lands he will come to rule: the Spanish coat of arms in the circle, the Habsburg coat of arms on the left and the Burgundian coat of arms on the right. In the four corners of the central panel we see the coats of arms of the families from which he is descended: the Houses of Habsburg (top left), Burgundy (bottom left), Aragon-Sicily (top right) and Castile-Leon (bottom right).
Habsburg Court Painter
Jan van Battel of Mechelen was commissioned regularly by the Habsburg rulers. In 1509 he designed a coat-of-arms seal for Charles. In around 1545, he painted a series of 35 panels showing the coats of arms of the Knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece for the Great Church in The Hague. A later version of Jan van Battel's triptych can be found in the Historical Museum in Berlin. It shows Charles V after his election as holy Roman Emperor in 1519.
The triptych is recognised as a Flemish Masterpiece due to its exceptional artistic value.
In detail
- Title: Triptych showing Charles of Habsburg as the King of Spain
- Item name: painting
- Maker: Jan van Battel (1477-1557)
- Date: 1517-1518
- Material: oils on panel
- Dimensions: 97.7 x 67.3 cm (middle panel); 97.7 x 33.4 cm (side panels)
- Inventory number: S0010
