Images

A 1728 illustration of Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar (1465-1524) was a Spanish conquistador who conquered Cuba in 1511, became the island’s governor for the next decade, and sponsored the expedition of Hernán Cortés (1485-1547) which conquered...

Richelieu on the Sea Wall of La Rochelle, oil on canvas by Henri-Paul Motte, 1881. Musée des Beaux-Arts de La Rochelle.

Louis XIII of France (1601-1643), oil on canvas portrait by Philippe de Champaigne, 1635. Museo del Prado, Madrid.

The history of Chinese imperial rule traditionally begins with the semi-legendary Xia dynasty (traditionally dated c. 2070–1600 BCE) and unfolds through a succession of ruling houses that shaped one of the world’s most continuous state traditions...

The Edict of Nantes, guaranteeing religious freedom in France, issued by Henry IV of France in 1598. National Archives of France.

Portrait of Henry IV, King of France and Navarre (1553–1610), oil on canvas by Frans Pourbus the Younger, early 17th century. Palace of Versailles.

Battle of Heiligerlee, 1568, drawing by F. Hogenberg, late 16th century. Groninger Archieven.

Allegory of the Tyranny of the Duke of Alba in the Netherlands, oil on panel by an unknown artist, c. 1622-1630. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Bullet holes in the wall from the assassination of William the Silent in 1584. Prinsenhof Museum, Delft, the Netherlands.

William the Silent (l. 1533-1584) also known as William I of Orange, oil on panel by Adriaen Thomasz Key, c. 1579. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.