The Coronation Portraits and The King's Tour Artists - at Buckingham Palace

Charles III and Camilla - the Coronation Portraits

This post is about:

• my comments on the Coronation Portraits
• how to see the Coronation Portraits in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace
• a new exhibition in the Throne Room about those artists who have been commissioned to go on an official tour with King Charles (or Prince of Wales as he was then) - and the artwork they have produced. Which I may well visit as he has a good choice in artists who have accompanied him in the past

The Coronation Portraits

I said on Facebook that I'd leave comments until I had seen them up closely - and now I have!

Last week, I visited the National Gallery - ostensibly to see the new entrance. I'd completely forgotten that the Coronation Portraits were on display - so coming across them was something of a surprise.

I have also posted my photos in a post on Facebook so if you want to see larger versions of the images in this post, that's where to go.

Otherwise, if you want to see them, you now need to visit the Throne Room in Buckingham Palace when the tours of the Palace reopen on 10th July (until 28th September). Whatever you do, do NOT get tickets from third parties which are often much more expensive. Instead click the link above which takes you direct to the Royal Collection Page and the basic cost of tickets which are not cheap - but not excessive as third party ones are.

Tickets also give you access to the exhibition in the throne room of 70 paintings executed by artists who have accompanied the King over the course of the last 40 years when he has been on Royal Tours. Of which more below.....

The Coronation Portraits

The Coronation Portraits in the National Gallery

What do I think of the Coronation Portraits? Pretty much the same as most people

• two different styles - but within the range acceptable for royal portraits i.e. realistic and a bit painterly
• hers is better than his
• there is something wrong with the proportions in the King's portrait
• the symbolism within the portraits is interesting

The main point to make is we are of course talking about PAINTED portraits of the individuals in their coronation robes. It's much more usual these days, for portraits to be photographic ones. Indeed the most famous one of Queen Elizabeth II was a photographic portrait by Cecil Beaton who produced a masterful image.

Different styles

The two different styles thing is easy to accommodate. 

Masterpieces from Buckingham Palace

In early December we're going to get to see masterpiece paintings that normally hang in The Picture Gallery in Buckingham Palace in a NEW exhibition called Masterpieces from Buckingham Palace at the Queen's Gallery.

Card Players in a sunlit Room (1658) by Pieter de Hooch (1629-1684)

oil on canvas, 77 x 67 cm

We're getting to see art in different ways during the Coronavirus Pandemic. 

One of the more curious ways comes as a result of the decision to go ahead with much needed renovation to Buckingham Palace to protect the historic building for future generations - while the Queen is isolating away from London.

Renovation means that the priceless collection of paintings actually hung in the Palace must move

This year, 65 paintings from Buckingham Palace’s Picture Gallery will be displayed together in an @RCT exhibition for the the first time.

📸 “Masterpieces from Buckingham Palace” at The Queen’s Gallery will include works by artists including Titian, Rembrandt and Vermeer. pic.twitter.com/KxAozKXssp

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) August 13, 2020

The Reservicing Programme has presented other opportunities for highlights of the Royal Collection @RCT to be displayed publicly for the first time.

Last year, a George IV exhibition opened at Brighton Pavilion, with a major loan of items removed from the Palace’s East Wing. pic.twitter.com/TKJSAL4QrB

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) August 13, 2020

The Exhibition

Sixty-five paintings, that usually hang in the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace and are widely acknowledged to be among the highlights of the Royal Collection, will be brought together in a gallery exhibition for the first time.

The Picture Gallery is top-lit and 55 yards (50 m) long and was originally designed by the architect John Nash for George IV to display his collection of Dutch, Flemish and Italian Old Master paintings. 

The Picture Gallery, Buckingham Palace

In Masterpieces from Buckingham Palace, spectacular works by artists such as Titian, Rembrandt, Vermeer, van Dyck and Canaletto can be enjoyed ‘close up’, and visitors will be encouraged to consider

• the artists’ intentions, 
• why the paintings were highly prized in their day and 
• why we would now consider these works to be ‘masterpieces’.

Details