Elegant and full of self-confidence, the young Prince Rupert stands every inch a member of the royal Stuart dynasty. Known as Rupert of the Rhine, he bears a striking resemblance to his cousin the Prince of Wales, later Charles II – the long face, the aquiline nose, the heavy brows and cleft chin. Although he looks directly at us, the portrait is designed to place us at his feet, a technique common in paintings of royalty. But his gaze doesn't seem to engage us – he is above us, a distant being to be admired and revered.
His jacket is plain – a soldier’s garment – but he wears it casually unlaced as was the fashion, in keeping with his unsoldierly but rich satin shirt embellished with gold and lace. Round his neck is the metal gorget of his armour, and other parts of it sit beside him on a high table. The portrait hints of his future: a flamboyant and brave, if sometimes rash, military commander.
The portrait was painted by the studio of Anthony van Dyck during the Prince’s extended stay at the court of his uncle, Charles I. His father, Frederick V, Elector Palatine and for a brief period, King of Bohemia, his mother Queen Elizabeth, and the rest of their large family settled in Holland after being exiled from Bohemia in 1620. His father died in 1632 and shortly afterwards Rupert accompanied his elder brother Charles Louis, Frederick’s heir, to London, hoping to raise money and support to restore Charles Louis to the throne.
During the English Civil War, Rupert fought in the Royalist army as a commander of cavalry. At first he met with great success but later, when he failed to hold the city of Bristol for the King, he was banished and returned to Europe. When Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660, Rupert became squadron commander in the Royal Navy, active in government and a leading member of the London social scene. He was a supporter of art and science and, active as an artist himself, practised the technique of mezzotint, a new and innovative form of printmaking.
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