Who painted The Royall Oake of Brittayne?

The Royall Oake of Brittayne was painted by Unknown in 1649.

Where can I see The Royall Oake of Brittayne?

The Royall Oake of Brittayne is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

What movement is The Royall Oake of Brittayne?

The Royall Oake of Brittayne is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

The Royall Oake of Brittayne

Unknown , 1649

The Royall Oake of Brittayne is a print by the Baroque artist Unknown. It dates from 1649 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

This print shows a man in armor pointing at a huge oak tree marked "The Royall Oake of Brittayne."

It was made in 1649, the year England’s King Charles I was executed. The oak stands for the monarchy—this image mocks the new government by showing it chopped down.

Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum to see where this protest print is kept.

Overview

The satirical print titled The Royall Oake of Brittayne, produced in 1649, portrays Oliver Cromwell directing the felling of a massive oak tree that symbolizes the English monarchy. The work is a woodcut illustration that served as a frontispiece for the second part of Clement Walker’s pamphlet Anarchia Anglicana, published under the pseudonym Theodorus Verax.

Subject & Meaning

In the image, Cromwell stands beside a tree marked "The Royall Oake of Brittayne," a visual metaphor for the monarchy’s downfall. The tree bears a crown, scepter, coat of arms, a Bible, the Magna Carta, and a copy of the royalist work Eikon Basilike, underscoring the loss of royal authority and the perceived betrayal of traditional institutions.

Technique & Style

The print employs dense allegorical detail typical of mid‑17th‑century political satire. Cromwell is placed on a sphere labeled in Latin "Locus Lubricus" (slippery place), suspended above a hellish mouth, a composition that links his actions to diabolical inspiration. Biblical quotations and symbolic objects are rendered in a stark, graphic style that emphasizes moral condemnation.

History & Provenance

Created in the year of Charles I’s execution, the print reflects Walker’s shift from parliamentary supporter to critic of Cromwell’s rule. It was originally printed as the frontispiece to Walker’s pamphlet, which denounced Cromwell as a religious radical and despot. The work is now part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection of protest prints.

Context

The image emerged amid the English Civil War’s concluding phase, when the new Commonwealth government was consolidating power. Walker, a member of Parliament, used the print to articulate his unease about the direction of the revolution, portraying Cromwell’s regime as a source of anarchy rather than liberty.