Portrait of King Christian II of Denmark (1481-1559)

Joos van Cleve's Portrait of King Christian II of Denmark documents one of the Antwerp master's most historically significant commissions, depicting the Danish king during his period in the Low Countries after being deposed from his throne. Christian II, who had imposed severe measures against Swedish nobles and sought to unite the Scandinavian kingdoms, was forced into exile after the Copenhagen uprising of 1523. His portrait by Van Cleve, one of Antwerp's leading portraitists, served both personal documentation and the diplomatic assertions of a deposed ruler still claiming his rightful throne.

The portrait follows established conventions of the period, with attention to physiognomic features and costume details that convey social identity and status.