Eikon Basilike (1649)
This image is on display at the Experiencing Political Texts exhibition at the Philip Robinson Library, Newcastle University between Monday 12th June and Monday 11th September. It can also be viewed here.
At the centre of the image is the figure of the kneeling King Charles I. His royal status is highlighted by his lavish robes. The image is then effectively divided into two halves – right (in front of Charles) and left (behind him).
The right hand image seems to depict an internal space – perhaps a chapel or the King’s study. Here our eyes are drawn to three crowns.
The crown that lies at the King’s foot seems to have been discarded. It is the royal or earthly crown. It bears the Latin word Vanitas (vanity) and is described as Splendidam & Gravem (splendid and heavy). It is lying on a globe which is positioned underneath Charles’s foot. The words Mundo Calco refer to the king treading on the world. Together these images suggest that Charles has given up his earthly title and riches.
In Charles’s hand is a second crown bearing the word Gratia (grace). It is described as being Asperam & Levem (bitter and light). It resembles the crown of thorns worn by Christ before his death and this point is emphasised by the phrase Christi Tracto on a piece of paper beneath the crown. This phrase means I entreat Christ or by the word of Christ – suggesting that Charles is putting his trust in Jesus. Similarly the book on the table bears the words In Verbo Tuo Spes Mea meaning my hope is in your word. Charles is putting his trust in God, so it does not matter what men do – or have done – to him.
Finally Charles looks up towards a third crown in the heavens. It is labelled Gloria (glory) and is described as Beatam & Aeternam (blessed and eternal). The words Caeli Specto announce that the King is looking to Heaven. Charles is therefore being presented as having willingly given up his earthly position to put his trust in Christ and to look to heavenly glory – through martyrdom.
The images on the left hand side, behind the king, show various examples of triumph over – or even out of – adversity. This is indicated in the motto that seems to come out of the back of Charles’s head. The phrase Clarior e tenebris means that greater brightness comes from darkness.
In the top half of the image a storm is depicted. Dark clouds gather, the wind is blowing strongly, and the sea is turbulent. Yet the rock in the middle is unaffected by the storm and waves. It stands Immota triumphans – unmoved and triumphant.
The bottom half of the image depicts land with two palm trees growing. One has weights hung from it with the motto Crescit sub ponder virtus (virtue grows under adversity). This reflects the fact that the branches of palm trees spring back higher when they have been pulled down by weights.
Altogether, then, the image reflects the fact that having faced opposition and adversity, Charles is going to emerge stronger and more triumphant. While he has had to give up his earthly power – and even his life – he is confident of the promise of greater glory through heaven. The defeated king is becoming a martyr.
Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan (1651)
The frontispiece is divided into two halves – top and bottom.
The top image depicts the figure of the Leviathan rising out of the sea. The Leviathan is a sea monster described in the Book of Job in the Bible. As the Biblical quotation at the top of the page indicates, the Leviathan cannot be controlled by any human power. In this image it stands above and overlooks a well-ordered state with both an urban and a rural district.
Though the Leviathan has a human face and is wearing a crown, it represents the sovereign or state – not necessarily a monarch. When the book was published in 1651 England was a Commonwealth or Free State not a monarchy, Charles I having been executed in 1649.
If you look carefully, you can see that the sea monster’s scales are actually tiny people. This reflects the fact that the sovereign or state embodies – or represents – the citizens of the state who exercise their power through it.
The Leviathan holds a sword in its right hand which represents civil power. In its left hand it holds a bishop’s crozier that symbolises religious power. The fact that the Leviathan holds both, indicates that the sovereign or state is ultimately in charge of both the civil and religious realms.
This last point is further emphasised in the lower half of the image.
Underneath the sword are five images depicting different aspects of civil power:
- A castle
- A crown
- A cannon
- Weapons of war
- A battlefield
Underneath the crozier are five images depicting corresponding aspects of religious power:
- A church or cathedral
- A bishop’s mitre
- Divine judgement
- Theological disputations
- A meeting or convocation of religious leaders
In the centre of the bottom half of the image are the details of the book itself including its full title, the author’s name and the publication details. As well as conveying this information, the frontispiece also depicts in visual form the central arguments of this lengthy work: that the sovereign or state embodies or represents the citizens and that it should have ultimate control over both civil and religious affairs.
Experiencing Political Texts 