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German History in Documents and Images
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Emperor Charles V in 1547 (1548)
This portrait of Emperor Charles V (r. 1519-56) was executed by his court painter, the Italian Renaissance master Titian. It shows Charles as victor over the Protestant Schmalkaldic League at the Battle of Mühlberg on April 24, 1547. It was painted in 1548, during the Imperial Diet in Augsburg. At the Diet, Charles’ attempts to repress Protestantism and strengthen Imperial authority met with fierce resistance from the electors and the Imperial estates alike. Oil painting by Titiano Vecelli “Titian” (c. 1485-1576), 1548.