In world history, there have been many painting, with royalty as the subject of the painting. Along with this thought, there have been several mysteries that have to do with what happens behind the closed doors of the royal palaces. One mystery, involving English royalty, is referred to as the "Princes in the Tower."
In 1831, the painter, Delaroche, created a painting, which he named "Princes in the Tower." Here is a brief description of what may be seen in the painting. There are two young boys, with their dog. The audience may assume that the two boys are brothers. One appears to be older than the other. Another supposition that may be made is that these boys are princes, as the title of the painting suggests it. The younger of the two brothers is holding an opened book, on his brother's lap. They are in a dark bedroom, seated on the bed.
Both princes have worried looks on their faces. As William Vaughan suggests, in Romanticism and Art, this painting is filled with uncertainty, which may be easily seen in the young boys's faces and body language. They are living something in which they don't know what will happen to them. They live in fear, as well as uncertainty. Their situation brings both emotions that Delaroche portrays well in this painting. However, there is a story behind this painting, one that perhaps not many may be familiar with. There is more than what meets the eye.
Delaroche borrowed the subject for this painting from English history. He borrowed from the unsolved case of the "Princes in the Towers." Here is briefly what the mystery is about. Though, it should be said that there was only one prince in the tower, because the eldest of the two brothers had not long before been proclaimed king.
Up until the fifteenth century, kings didn't stay long on the throne. The same is said about King Edward V and his younger brother, Richard, was only able to gain the title of Duke of York, as neither would see life beyond their teens. Their father died, when Edward was only thirteen. He was very young when he became king.
There were many reasons why some believed that Edward shouldn't have been king that the crown shouldn't have passed to him, to young Edward. They all had various reasons, but it mainly had to do with family and generations. There was a revolt and the two boys' uncle, Richard, took over. It was at that point that Edward V, along with his younger brother, were locked into the Tower of London, which was for sometime the place where royalty lived.
After that, there was nothing. Nothing was heard of them. No one seems to know for sure what happened to the young king and the young prince and who was the one responsible for it all. As society goes, there were some speculations about the whole thing, but again, there is nothing that indicates for sure what happened.
But then recently, while doing construction, skeletons were found in a section of the wall of the Tower of London. It seemed that it was the remains of two young boys. Though there may be some doubt, it is believed that these skeletons were those of the Edward and Richard. This conclusion was made with the help of what is known of the circumstances of the time the princes disappeared.
Perhaps this is the reason why Delaroche made the boys' look so scared and nervous. Perhaps because he thought that the Princes anticipated what was going to happen or that they were told what was going to happen. But we might never know for certain.
