1649: Cromwell and the ‘Royall Oake of Brittayne’

From the British Library’s website -

This complex image is a highly effective piece of political propaganda attacking Cromwell for dismantling the regime of Charles I. Cromwell is ordering republican soldiers to chop down the royal oak. The tree is a symbol of the monarchy. If you look carefully you can see the royal crown, sceptre and coat of arms in the tree. Hanging off the branches are Eikon Basilike (a book popular with royalists supposedly containing the reflections and thoughts of the king before his execution), the Bible, Magna Carta, statues and reports. Cromwell is standing on a ball described as a ‘slippery place’ and is just above the entrance to hell overturning his apparent piety.

The image was created in 1649, in a book published in 1660, which was started in 1640 by Clement Walker, a disgruntled Parliamentarian. He was arrested for this and charged with high treason, dying in the Tower of London in 1651. This image identified Cromwell as the personality driving the new regime and the scapegoat for the execution of the King.

Taken from: Anarchia Anglicana: or the history of independency
Creator: unknown artist, Clement Walker (original author)
Publisher: R.Royston at the Angel in Ivy Lane, London
Date created: 1649
Copyright: By permission of the British Library Board
Shelf mark: E.1052