Charles II 

Editor: This is John Riley's "Charles II," an oil painting from the Baroque period. He looks kind of...melancholy? Considering he's a king, I expected more pomp. What do you make of him? Curator: Well, it’s certainly not the sunniest royal portrait I’ve seen. And that’s saying something! Riley’s focus isn’t really on glorifying Charles with traditional symbols of power, is it? Notice how the dark colors kind of swallow him up. The armor’s there, the lacy frill…but it feels more like a costume. He almost seems weary. Editor: Weary, yes! Exactly! But what's with all the black? Was that just the fashion? Curator: Absolutely. Big hair was *the* thing back then and dark hues helped it to pop, I suspect. Beyond just the trends, there’s also something really interesting in the tension between the public image a king had to project and the human being underneath all that. Editor: So, the painting’s not just *of* a king, but about the weight of being one? Curator: Precisely! The Baroque period did like its drama. It’s not a purely objective record; it's layered. Riley captures a kind of internal state alongside the external presentation, if you will. A fleeting sense of something. It seems as though there might be vulnerability? Editor: I never would've noticed all of that on my own. It's really about the performance, I think! Curator: Indeed. And next time I complain about having to dress up, I'll think about good old Charles!