Discover the legendary art collection of Charles I. For the first time since the 17th century, this landmark exhibition will bring together the astounding treasures that changed the taste of the nation.
King Charles I amassed one of the most extraordinary art collections of his age, acquiring works by some of the finest artists of the past – Titian, Mantegna, Holbein, Dürer – and commissioning leading contemporary artists such as Van Dyck and Rubens.
Yet, following the king’s execution in 1649, his collection was sold off and scattered across Europe. While many works were retrieved by Charles II during the Restoration, others now form the core of museums such as the Louvre and the Prado.
Charles I: King and Collector will reunite the greatest masterpieces of this magnificent collection for the first time. Celebrating its breadth and grandeur, we will include over 100 works of art, ranging from classical sculptures to Baroque paintings, and from exquisite miniatures to monumental tapestries. In showing these works together, the exhibition will demonstrate the radical impact they had at the time and shed light on how they fostered a vibrant visual culture that was hitherto unknown in England.
