The Princes in the Tower (Edward V and the Duke of York)

The Princes in the Tower from around 1827 by Paul Delaroche depicts the two sons of Edward IV—the boy-king Edward V and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York—imprisoned in the Tower of London by their uncle Richard III. The princes' likely murder in 1483 became one of the most emotionally resonant subjects in Romantic history painting, and Delaroche's version, with its two vulnerable children huddled together in shadow, is among the most affecting images he ever created. The drama is psychological rather than violent: the princes sense their fate without understanding it, their childish helplessness made unbearable by historical knowledge of what followed. Exhibited at the 1831 Salon, the painting caused a sensation and established Delaroche as a master of historical pathos. The work is held at the Tower of London.

The two young princes are rendered with poignant characterization, the dark Tower interior creating an atmosphere of menace and vulnerability.