Standbeeld van Richard I Leeuwenhart in Londen c. 1860 - 1880

This stereoscopic image, made by Frederick York, captures a statue of Richard I in London. The statue depicts Richard the Lionheart triumphantly raising his sword while on horseback. Images of monuments like this one reveal a great deal about how societies choose to remember the past. Richard I reigned as King of England in the late 12th century, but spent very little time in England itself, preferring to engage in crusades and wars in continental Europe. The statue gives a romanticized and heroic image of Richard, in keeping with Britain’s imperial ambitions at the time it was made, likely to be the late 19th century. Historians would use sources like newspapers, government documents, and personal papers to understand the values that shaped the creation and reception of this artwork. It’s a reminder that art and history are always closely intertwined.