Cathy's Art Diary

Intriguing online lecture from ARTscapades looking at Italian art in the Royal Collection and how it got there. Desmond Shawe-Taylor, Surveyor of the Queen’s Pictures from 2005 to 2021 led us clearly through the topic with an emphasis on what, how and why the monarchs bought. We spent the first half looking at Charles I’s collection and I really enjoyed a section where we looked at where all the major works hung at Whitehall Palace. This led to a discussion on what Charles II reacquired on his restoration. In the second half we looked at the late Stuart’s and Georgians noting how taste for Italian art changed and the prevalence of anything the style of Raphael. The only major purchase came under George III when he bought the collection of John Smith, the British consul in Venice and agent to Canaletto. We finished by looking at Prince Albert’s love of early art such as a Duccio Triptych for which he made a frame.

Enlightening online lecture from ARTscapades looking at the relationship between the British monarchy. Desmond Shawe-Taylor, former Surveyor of the Queen’s Pictures, explained the concept of the Grand Tour using pictures from the Royal Collection where possible. I thought I knew a lot about the Grand Tour but I had never thought about the political background to it before and the fact that the Old Pretender and Bonnie Prince Charlie had set up a rival court to the Hanoverians in France and then Rome. Young gentlemen were travelling through Europe at a time when the British were out of favour and had no ambassador in Italy. He also talked about how the monarchy tried to acquire the knowledge and kudos of the tour when they couldn’t actually go on it themselves and in particular, he took us through George III’s purchases of prints, drawings and paintings to fill that gap. He was also very good on the difference between the earlier Grand Tourists, who were going to see things relate...

Comprehensive online course for ARTscapes looking at the how the British royal family have chosen to be represented since Tudor times. Desmond Shawe-Taylor, who has previously been the Surveyor of the Queens Pictures, led us through the subject over two hour long sessions with excellent illustrations mainly from the Royal Collection.   It was as much a history course as a history of art one as he covered changes in ideas about the monarchy, how it has adapted over the years and how this is reflected in the art. The most interesting section, as I knew less about it, was the later Stuart’s post the Glorious Revolution and the Georgians. I loved this picture of two of the son’s of George III by Zoffany from 1765 in Buckingham Palace with portraits of their parent and Van Dyck’s picture of the children of Charles I. He also talked about how in current times photography is taking over from painting for royal portraits and speculated about whether there will be a formal painted Co...