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The Royall Oake of Brittayne

Unknown

1649

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Baroque Baroque Allegory

Dominant colour

The Royall Oake of Brittayne is a 1649 by Unknown, a Baroque work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1649 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This print shows a man in armor pointing at a huge oak tree marked "The Royall Oake of Brittayne." It was made in 1649, the year England’s King Charles I was executed. The oak stands for the monarchy—this image mocks the new government by showing it chopped down. Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum to see where this protest print is kept.

The story of this work

Overview

This 1649 satirical engraving shows Oliver Cromwell in armor standing on a precarious sphere labeled *Locus Lubricus*, from which he directs republican soldiers to cut down the Royal Oak of Britain. The tree’s branches bear the royal crown, scepter, coat of arms, Magna Carta, a Bible, and *Eikon Basilike*, symbols of monarchy and law. The scene is set above the mouth of hell, suggesting Cromwell’s descent into tyranny and anarchy. The print served as the frontispiece to Clement Walker’s *Anarchia Anglicana*, a critique of Cromwell’s rule.

Read the full account in the museum source.