The Children of Edward

Delaroche became interested in the fate of the Princes in the Tower after visiting London in 1827, where he saw the fortress itself. Before painting, he studied fifteenth-century decoration and objects closely. The scene shows Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury, locked in the Tower after the death of their father, Edward IV. Their legitimacy was rejected, and power passed to their uncle, who became Richard III. He is usually held responsible for their murder, though no concrete historical evidence confirms it. The children huddle together, sensing their fate. Tension builds through the alert little dog, the light slipping under the door, and one boy's anxious glance, all hinting at an imminent intrusion. Medieval touches, such as a book with an Annunciation miniature, and English references, such as the Garter ribbon on a boy's leg, add period atmosphere. Shown at the Salon of 1831, the painting was received as deeply moving and now hangs in the Louvre.

Painter

Paul Delaroche

Date

1830

Medium

oil paint, canvas

Dimensions

181 × 215 cm

Museum

Louvre Museum, Paris

Movement

Troubadour style

Genre

history painting

Depicts

Edward V of England, Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York, Tower of London

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