The Return of Monarchy; the first triumphal arch erected for Charles II in his passage through the city of London for his coronation, April 22, 1661

The Return of Monarchy; the first triumphal arch erected for Charles II in his passage through the city of London for his coronation, April 22, 1661

David Loggan

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

John Ogilby secured exclusive publishing rights for Charles II's coronation procession eleven days prior to the event and published a simple, unillustrated text in time for his entry. The text included descriptions of the four arches in the procession, their inscriptions, and the speeches and songs delivered throughout the celebration. A year later in 1662, Ogilby published a festival book of the coronation procession and celebrations. The text expanded upon the first edition with additional details about the iconographic sources for the decorations - which were meant to honor the monarch and reaffirm his political legitimacy. Each of the triumphal arches helped to illustrate the restoration of the monarchy. Furthermore, the text was now accompanied by large engravings of the king's procession, the four arches, and the coronation ceremony.

Drawings and Prints

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Return of Monarchy; the first triumphal arch erected for Charles II in his passage through the city of London for his coronation, April 22, 1661The Return of Monarchy; the first triumphal arch erected for Charles II in his passage through the city of London for his coronation, April 22, 1661The Return of Monarchy; the first triumphal arch erected for Charles II in his passage through the city of London for his coronation, April 22, 1661The Return of Monarchy; the first triumphal arch erected for Charles II in his passage through the city of London for his coronation, April 22, 1661The Return of Monarchy; the first triumphal arch erected for Charles II in his passage through the city of London for his coronation, April 22, 1661

The Department’s vast collection of works on paper comprises approximately 21,000 drawings, 1.2 million prints, and 12,000 illustrated books created in Europe and the Americas from about 1400 to the present day. Since its foundation in 1916, the Department has been committed to collecting a wide range of works on paper, which includes both pieces that are incredibly rare and lauded for their aesthetic appeal, as well as material that is more popular, functional, and ephemeral. The broad scope of the department’s collecting encourages questions of connoisseurship as well as those pertaining to function and context, and demonstrates the vital role that prints, drawings, and illustrated books have played throughout history.