A monumental portrait of King Charles I by a follower of Sir Anthony Van Dyke will lead Christie's Old Masters and British Paintings auction on April 11 in London.
 There are many copies of Sir Anthony Van Dyke's original - the example at auction was produced for Sir John Byron, uncle to the famous poet |
The portrait is considered "one of the most triumphant and magnificent" depictions of the king, according to Christie's, and is valued at £50,000-80,000 ($76,050-121,680).
It is one of many variations of Sir Anthony Van Dyke's masterpiece, though large-scale copies such as this (122 inches by 99 inches) are exceedingly rare.
According to the family to whom the painting currently belongs, it was executed at royal request for Sir John Byron, 1st Lord Byron (1599-1652).The original was commissioned in 1633, and was designed to be hung at the end of the Long Gallery in St James's Palace.
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