The First Georgians: Art and Monarchy 1714-1760

A sumptuous exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace looking at the first Georgian monarchs.

The best sections of the show looked at what the kings had bought and tried to give an idea of how they lived and what their surroundings looked like. There was one large room of paintings and furniture they had bought from previous ages such as Holbein’s and a lovely studio of Pontormo Virgin and Child. Another room looked at the contemporary art and furniture which they bought and included some nice William Kent pieces.

There was also a nice section on the Royal Palaces and what changes they had made to them. However although the section on military maps and Hogarth were fascinating I am not sure they fit the narrative of the story very well. I would have preferred to see a bit more on the lives of the monarchs and their families. I got the impression Queen Caroline was a good egg but would like to have known more.

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