Charles X Gustav (1622–1660), King of Sweden from 1654 to 1660 (during the Swedish Deluge). Engraving by J. Dürr, 1649.
Copperplate engraving; 25 x 17.5 (cropped, with 1–3 mm margins)
Portrait of Charles Gustav Wittelsbach, commander-in-chief of the Swedish army and, following Queen Christina’s abdication in 1654, King of Sweden. Most of his reign was marked by war with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth; during this period, Sweden reached the peak of its territorial extent. A portrait of the young prince from 1649, when he was proclaimed heir to the throne and hereditary prince of Sweden. A bust in an oval frame, with banners on either side; below, a decorative heraldic cartouche beneath the royal crown, supported by two lions. This formal portrait is the work of Johann Dürr (c. 1600–1663), a German printmaker. In good condition.
