The King Nobody Can Identify — The Wilton Diptych | THE HIDDEN BRUSH

A king kneels in heaven. Eleven angels wear his uniform. A small child reaches out one hand toward him — in blessing, or in warning. Nobody knows who painted this. Nobody knows exactly why. But the king knew his throne was about to be ripped away from him — and this was his answer. The Wilton Diptych (c. 1395–1399), National Gallery, London — the most desperate painting in English history, finished in the last years of Richard II's reign, months before his crown was taken. CHAPTERS: 00:00 The king who kneels forever 00:48 First sight — two panels, one prayer 02:31 The artist — the master with no name 04:30 The analysis — reading the badges 07:50 The hidden detail — heaven in his livery 10:12 The world — the fall of Richard II 12:54 The meaning — faith or propaganda? Music: "Angevin – Thatched Villagers" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... #TheHiddenBrush #WiltonDiptych #ArtHistory