Charles came to define his royal authority through the awe and silence induced by painting, rather than the books and public disputation cherished by his father, Charles lacked the scholarly erudition of his father, James I, and the ruthless pragmatism of his son, Charles II. His close attention to detail and tendency towards prevarication made him particularly susceptible to the pleasures of collecting, with its absorption in questions of provenance, attribution, style and judgement.
J. Brotton, The sale of the late King's goods (2006), 10
