Henri III

Bonington, like many of his contemporaries, was attracted to history painting because it was more prestigious than landscapes or domestic scenes. His career was too short for his talents to be fully developed, but he completed and exhibited several major history pictures. This work, shown at the Royal Academy shortly before his death, depicts Henri III, King of France (1551-1589) receiving Don John of Austria, son of Emperor Charles V. Henri III is known to posterity for his pivotal role in the French Wars of Religion.The subject was original, rather than (as with 'Henri IV and the Spanish Ambassador') a recasting of an earlier interpretation.