Retrato equestre de Carlos V

In April 1547 the Emperor Charles V beat an alliance of Protestant German princes at the battle of Muhlberg. The next year Titian painted him this way, alone on horseback, in the armour and on the field of that victory. There is no crowd, no allegory, no fallen enemy, just the ruler of half of Europe riding out at dusk with a raised lance. Titian took real care with the gear. He recorded the actual armour and the horse's trappings used in the battle, and both the armour and harness still survive in the royal collection in Madrid. Yet the court did not want a gloating conqueror crushing his own subjects. So Charles rides out calm and contained, his horse's power just barely held in check, an emperor meant to look like he could govern Catholics and Protestants alike rather than simply defeat them.