Charles I's obsession with collecting works of art began when, as a 22-year-old prince, he travelled to Spain and saw the magnificent collection of King Philip IV. On becoming King in 1625 Charles purchased the fabulous collection of the Gonzaga Dukes of Mantua which included works by Titian, Raphael and Andrea Mantegna's astonishing series of paintings "The Triumphs of Caesar". Charles engaged Peter Paul Rubens to paint the ceiling of the Banqueting House in Whitehall and he appointed Antony van Dyck as his Court Artist. By the end of his reign, Charles amassed over 2000 works of art but in doing so he had bankrupted England and alienated his people. His life ended on the scaffold in 1649 and most of the collection was sold in what was known as "The Commonwealth Sale" in 1650. While many works were retrieved by Charles 2nd during the Restoration others now hang in the great Art Galleries of Europe.