Quarries
ca. 1646 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This panel comprises nine quarries (small diamond-shaped panels) of green tinted glass, each diamond engraved with an inscription. They are purported to have been written by Charles I (1600-1649) to his wife Henrietta Maria (1609-1669) on the window of his prison at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight, where he was detained in 1646. There is, however, no evidence to support this supposed provenance. The glass is hand blown and extremely thin, qualities compatible with a 17th-century date.
People
Charles I ruled Britain and Ireland from 1625 to 1649. He had an authoritarian conviction that he ruled by 'divine right' and was answerable only to God. This rendered him incapable of coming to terms with Parliament's demands for increased powers. In 1642 these quarrels culminated in the declaration of war against the Parliamentarians. Despite initial success in the Civil War, the Royalists were eventually defeated by Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army. In 164, Charles was captured. Charged with 'crimes against the realm of England', he was beheaded on 30 January 1649 at Whitehall, London.
Charles married Henrietta Maria, the sister of Louis XIII of France (ruled 1610-1643), in 1625. It was not until the assassination of the King's court favourite - George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham - three years later, in 1628, that he seems to have developed any real love for his wife. Thereafter, he came to value the Queen's counsel in state affairs very highly. If genuine, the inscriptions on these windows certainly testify to their devotion to one another.
This panel comprises nine quarries (small diamond-shaped panels) of green tinted glass, each diamond engraved with an inscription. They are purported to have been written by Charles I (1600-1649) to his wife Henrietta Maria (1609-1669) on the window of his prison at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight, where he was detained in 1646. There is, however, no evidence to support this supposed provenance. The glass is hand blown and extremely thin, qualities compatible with a 17th-century date.
People
Charles I ruled Britain and Ireland from 1625 to 1649. He had an authoritarian conviction that he ruled by 'divine right' and was answerable only to God. This rendered him incapable of coming to terms with Parliament's demands for increased powers. In 1642 these quarrels culminated in the declaration of war against the Parliamentarians. Despite initial success in the Civil War, the Royalists were eventually defeated by Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army. In 164, Charles was captured. Charged with 'crimes against the realm of England', he was beheaded on 30 January 1649 at Whitehall, London.
Charles married Henrietta Maria, the sister of Louis XIII of France (ruled 1610-1643), in 1625. It was not until the assassination of the King's court favourite - George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham - three years later, in 1628, that he seems to have developed any real love for his wife. Thereafter, he came to value the Queen's counsel in state affairs very highly. If genuine, the inscriptions on these windows certainly testify to their devotion to one another.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 9 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Glass, with diamond-engraved inscriptions |
| Brief description | Clear glass engraved with inscriptions |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | British Galleries:
We do not know who scratched these impassioned lines onto glass quarries with a diamond, or why it was done. He or she was clearly preoccupied with thoughts of love and mortality for the central panel reads 'I am yours and only yours till death separates'.(27/03/2003) |
| Object history | Bought at Christie's, St. James for 300 pounds and 30 pence (RF 75/3248). Reputed to have been inscribed by Charles I (1600-1649) while imprisioned at Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight, in 1646 Made in England. Inscriptions are as follows: 1) For having long awandered and looked round about me there is nothing in this world pleasant without thee 2) When this you see, remember me, who lives to love no-one but thee 3) Remember that Christ Jesus shall thoughts, words and deeds to judgement call 4) My love to you shal always be love 5) JME Yours and only yours till death separates CR 6) My hope on Christ is fixed sure, who wounded was my wounds to cure 7) Christ's life must be a rule to thee if Christ's disciple thon wnd be 8) Take up thy cross do but endure to overcome thou shalt be sure 9) By love cleave just to God above, for nought on earth deserves the love |
| Summary | Object Type This panel comprises nine quarries (small diamond-shaped panels) of green tinted glass, each diamond engraved with an inscription. They are purported to have been written by Charles I (1600-1649) to his wife Henrietta Maria (1609-1669) on the window of his prison at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight, where he was detained in 1646. There is, however, no evidence to support this supposed provenance. The glass is hand blown and extremely thin, qualities compatible with a 17th-century date. People Charles I ruled Britain and Ireland from 1625 to 1649. He had an authoritarian conviction that he ruled by 'divine right' and was answerable only to God. This rendered him incapable of coming to terms with Parliament's demands for increased powers. In 1642 these quarrels culminated in the declaration of war against the Parliamentarians. Despite initial success in the Civil War, the Royalists were eventually defeated by Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army. In 164, Charles was captured. Charged with 'crimes against the realm of England', he was beheaded on 30 January 1649 at Whitehall, London. Charles married Henrietta Maria, the sister of Louis XIII of France (ruled 1610-1643), in 1625. It was not until the assassination of the King's court favourite - George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham - three years later, in 1628, that he seems to have developed any real love for his wife. Thereafter, he came to value the Queen's counsel in state affairs very highly. If genuine, the inscriptions on these windows certainly testify to their devotion to one another. |
| Bibliographic reference | C&G section Object Information File |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.142:1 to 9-1984 |
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| Record created | March 16, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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