Genealogical Chronicle of the Kings of England

Unknown

1466–67 · Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on parchment · The Cloisters

Who should be the King of England? That is the question this elaborate medieval diagram dares to answer. Created during the War of the Roses, when the Houses of Lancaster and York were engaged in a bitter fight for the English throne, this multi-page chart enlivened with bright colors and gold leaf lands emphatically on Edward IV and the House of York. With efficiency and bravado, it places Edward within world history, tracing his lineage back to Adam and Eve and linking him to the great rulers of history including King David, Alexander the Great, King Arthur, and William the Conqueror. How could Henry VI, Edward’s bitter rival, possibly compete?

Artist

Unknown

Date

1466–67

Medium

Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on parchment

Culture

British

Department

The Cloisters

Credit line

The Cloisters Collection, 2018