During the seventeenth century Sir Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641) was celebrated as a master of portraiture. The Royal Collection holds an exceptional collection of works by van Dyck, of which this formal portrait of Charles I (r.1625–49) on horseback is perhaps the most enduring.

The vast painting captures the grandeur of the Stuart court and the magnificence of the King who is depicted mounted on a white horse, surrounded by classical architecture, and accompanied by Pierre Antoine Bourdin, Seigneur de St Antoine, riding master and equerry, looking up towards the kingly figure. Charles I is presented as a knight and warrior, and most importantly as a leader.