page_title: Whitehall Group
section_title: King Charles I
hierarchical_section_title: Whitehall Group / Members of the Group / King Charles I
context_page_description: The Whitehall group is a term applied to a small circle of art connoisseurs, collectors, and patrons, closely associated with King Charles I, who introduced a taste for the Italian old masters to England. The term usually includes the advisors and agents who facilitated the group's acquisition of works of art.
context_section_description: King Charles I was the most passionate and generous collector of art among the British monarchs, and saw art as a way of promoting his grandiose view of the monarchy. His interest in art was initially stimulated by his elder brother, Henry, and his enthusiasm was subsequently encouraged by George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham. One of his first acquisitions was Woman in a fur wrap (right) bought in a Madrid market while he and Buckingham were attempting to secure Charles's marriage to the sister of King Phillip IV. In the space of about twenty years, King Charles put together one of the largest collections of works of art in Europe, relying "on the eyes and ears of a number of agents and connoisseurs". Charles bought extensively from Italy where economic conditions meant that collection owners needed to raise money. In 1628, he bought the fabulous collection that the Gonzagas of Mantua were forced to dispose of. As a result of this, his collection rivalled that of the King of Spain. His interest in art also resulted in him being given works by European rulers attempting to gain favour or as part of marriage negotiations.
  Following his accession in 1625 he tried to bring leading foreign painters to England. In 1626, he was able to persuade Orazio Gentileschi to settle in England, later to be joined by his daughter Artemisia and some of his sons. Rubens, who eventually came to London in 1630 on a diplomatic mission, was an especial target. While in London Rubens painted and later supplied more paintings from Antwerp. He was very well-treated during his nine-month visit, during which he was knighted. Charles eventually persuaded Ruben's pupil, Van Dyck, to settle in London.
  Charles employed English and foreign court painters from whom he commissioned new works. In addition to Van Dyck, these included Cornelius Johnson and Daniel Mytens. Van Dyck's portraits, particularly those on horseback that disguised the fact that Charles was very  short (less than 5 feet (1.5 m) tall), presented an authoritative and majestic image of the King.
  Much of his collection was put up for sale during the protectorate. Both Spanish and French collectors were active in obtaining paintings and a number of the best works are now in European collections. However, many of the works that were still in England at the time of the restoration were returned and now form part of the Royal Collection.
caption: Woman in a fur wrap by Titian, once part of Charles I's collection, now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
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