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Home , Francesco Zuccarelli, John Michael Wright, Old Master, Royal Collection

PRESS RELEASE

October 2016

2017 Exhibitions and Displays Programme

The Queen's Gallery,

Portrait of the Artist

The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace 4 November 2016 – 17 April 2017

This first-ever exhibition to focus on images of artists in the includes both self-portraits by world-renowned painters, such as van Rijn, , , Lucian Freud and , and representations of artists by their friends and pupils, including the most reliable surviving likeness of by his student, Francesco Melzi. Through , , prints, photographs and decorative from the 15th to the 21st century, the exhibition examines the cult and changing status of the artist, images of the artist’s studio, and the role of monarchs in commissioning, collecting and displaying portraits of artists.

Tickets and visitor information: www.royalcollection.org.uk or T. +44 (0)303 123 7301.

Canaletto and the of

The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace 19 May – 12 November 2017

The Royal Collection contains the world's finest group of paintings, drawings and prints by Venice's most famous view-painter, (1697–1768). These works were bought by the young George III in 1762 from Canaletto's agent and dealer Joseph Smith, British Consul in Venice, along with the rest of Smith's huge collection. Displaying a spectacular selection of 18th-century Venetian art, the exhibition presents Canaletto's greatest works alongside paintings, drawings and prints by Sebastiano and , , Rosalba Carriera, and Giovanni Battista Piazzetta. Exploring the many delights of 18th-century Venice, from the splendours of the Grand Canal and St Mark's Square to its festivals, theatre and masked carnival, the exhibition brings the irresistible allure of one of the most beautiful cities in the world to The Queen's Gallery.

Tickets and visitor information: www.royalcollection.org.uk or T. +44 (0)303 123 7301.

Charles II: Art & Power

The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace 8 December 2017 – 13 May 2018

After over a decade of austere Cromwellian rule, the of the monarchy in 1660 led to a resurgence of the arts in . The court of Charles II became the centre for the

Press Office, Royal Collection Trust, York House, St James’s Palace, London SW1A 1BQ T. +44 (0)20 7839 1377, [email protected], www.royalcollection.org.uk patronage of leading artists and the collecting of great works of art, which served not only as decoration for the royal apartments but also as a means of glorifying the restored monarchy and reinforcing the position of Charles II as the rightful king. From 's monumental portrait of Charles II in his coronation robes and a glittering silver-gilt dish which adorned the high-altar of Westminster Abbey during the King's coronation, to paintings, and spectacular silver-gilt furniture, the exhibition shows the rich material world of Charles II's court and the role of the arts in the re-establishment of the Stuart monarchy.

Tickets and visitor information: www.royalcollection.org.uk or T. +44 (0)303 123 7301.

The Queen's Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse

Painting Paradise: The Art of the Garden

The Queen's Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse Until 26 February 2017

Whether a sacred sanctuary, a place for scientific study, a haven for the solitary thinker or a space for pure enjoyment and delight, gardens are where man and nature meet. Paradise: The Art of the Garden reveals the way in which gardens have been celebrated in art across four centuries. Bringing together paintings, botanical studies, drawings, books, manuscripts and decorative arts, the exhibition explores the changing character of the garden from the 16th to the early 20th century. It includes works by Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt van Rijn and the Sèvres Porcelain Factory, and some of the earliest and rarest surviving depictions of gardens and plants.

Tickets and visitor information: www.royalcollection.org.uk or T. +44 (0)30 3123 7306.

Maria Merian's Butterflies

The Queen's Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse 17 March – 23 July 2017

In 1699, the German artist and entomologist Maria Sibylla Merian set sail with her youngest daughter for Suriname in South America. There she would spend two years studying the animals and plants she encountered, leading to the publication of the lavishly illustrated Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium (The Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname), which brought the wonders of Suriname to . Maria Merian's Butterflies tells the artist’s extraordinary story through her works acquired by George III and now in the Royal Collection. These include the luxury versions of the plates from the Metamorphosis, partially printed and then hand-painted on vellum by Merian herself.

Tickets and visitor information: www.royalcollection.org.uk or T. +44 (0)30 3123 7306.

Press Office, Royal Collection Trust, York House, St James’s Palace, London SW1A 1BQ T. +44 (0)20 7839 1377, [email protected], www.royalcollection.org.uk

Shadows of War: Roger Fenton's Photographs of the Crimea, 1855

The Queen's Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse 4 August 2017 – January 2018

This is the first exhibition to focus exclusively on Roger Fenton's pioneering photographs of the Crimean War, taken in 1855. Fenton was already an accomplished and respected photographer when he was sent by the publishers Agnew's to photograph a war that pitched Britain, France and Turkey as allies against Russia. Arriving several months after the major battles were fought in 1854, Fenton focused on creating moving portraits of the troops, as well as capturing the stark, empty battlefields on which so many lost their lives. Published in contemporary newspaper reports, Fenton's photographs showed the impact of war to the general public for the first time. Through his often subtle and poetic interpretations Fenton created the genre of war photography, showing his extraordinary genius in capturing the futility of war.

Tickets and visitor information: www.royalcollection.org.uk or T. +44 (0)30 3123 7306.

Windsor Castle

Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style from The Queen's Wardrobe

Windsor Castle Until 8 January 2017

The third in the trilogy of special exhibitions to mark Her Majesty's 90th birthday year, Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style from The Queen's Wardrobe at Windsor Castle charts significant events in The Queen's life and the nation's history through a fascinating display of dresses. Throughout the Semi-State Rooms magnificent evening gowns worn during State Visits and overseas tours are displayed alongside Her Majesty's childhood pantomime costumes and outfits worn for family celebrations, with special emphasis on occasions hosted at Windsor Castle.

Tickets and visitor information: www.royalcollection.org.uk or T. +44 (0)303 123 7301.

Christmas at Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle 25 November 2016 – 5 January 2017

This year the magnificent State Apartments at Windsor Castle will be transformed with glittering decorations to celebrate the festive season. The highlight of the display will be a striking six-metre Nordmann Fir tree decked with lights, tinsel and colourful decorations.

Tickets and visitor information: www.royalcollection.org.uk or T. +44 (0)303 123 7301.

Press Office, Royal Collection Trust, York House, St James’s Palace, London SW1A 1BQ T. +44 (0)20 7839 1377, [email protected], www.royalcollection.org.uk

Palace of Holyroodhouse

Christmas at the Palace of Holyroodhouse

Palace of Holyroodhouse 2 December 2016 – 5 January 2017

This year's festive display at Her Majesty's official residence in will be inspired by the remarkable architecture of the Palace of Holyroodhouse itself, on the garlands of fruits and flowers from the magnificent 17th-century plasterwork ceilings. The Great Stair leading to the historic royal apartments will be draped with garlands and wreaths and lit up with twinkling lights. In the Royal Dining Room, a table will be laid with pieces from a silver service, presented by Scottish benefactor Sir Alexander Grant to King George V and Queen Mary in 1935 to mark their Silver Jubilee. The table will also be decorated with wreaths of fruits and flowers and spires of faux candied-sugared fruits. In the Great Gallery visitors will see a six-metre Christmas tree decked with white and silver fruits and flowers.

Tickets and visitor information: www.royalcollection.org.uk or T. +44 (0)30 3123 7306.

Royal Collection Trust touring exhibitions

The Last of the Tide

Black Watch Museum, Perth Until 6 November 2016

This exhibition of 12 portraits of D-Day veterans was inspired and commissioned by HRH The Duke of Rothesay following his attendance at the 70th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy in 2014. The profoundly moving images pay tribute to some of the extraordinary men who took part in the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944. The 12 veterans are shown wearing their medals and in some instances their regimental berets. All of them served in regiments with which The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay have a formal affiliation. Each portrait has been created by a different artist from the Royal Drawing School, among them , James Lloyd, Ishbel Myerscough and Stuart Pearson Wright. http://www.theblackwatch.co.uk/

At Home in Holland: Vermeer and his Contemporaries from the British Royal Collection

The Mauritshuis, The Hague, Netherlands Until 27 January 2017

Some of the finest 17th- and 18th-century Dutch paintings from the Royal Collection, including 's '', are presented in this touring exhibition in the Netherlands. At Home in Holland: Vermeer and his Contemporaries from the British Royal Collection brings together works by some of the finest artists of the day, including , and Jan Steen. Produced during the Dutch ‘Golden Age’, when the Netherlands was at the forefront of commerce, science and art, these pictures represent a high point in ‘genre painting’ – ordinary scenes of everyday life rendered in extraordinary detail. Renowned for their exquisite depiction of space and light, Dutch artists of the period

Press Office, Royal Collection Trust, York House, St James’s Palace, London SW1A 1BQ T. +44 (0)20 7839 1377, [email protected], www.royalcollection.org.uk also included humorous or moralising messages in their work for the contemporary viewer to decode. https://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/

Leonardo da Vinci: Ten Drawings from the Royal Collection

Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea 15 October 2016 – 6 January 2017

Ten of the Royal Collection’s finest drawings by the master Leonardo da Vinci are presented in this touring exhibition. Selected to show the extraordinary scope of Leonardo’s interests, from painting and sculpture to engineering, zoology, botany, mapmaking and anatomy, as well as his use of different media – pen and ink, red and black chalks, and metalpoint – the works show how Leonardo attempted to record and understand the world around him. http://www.swansea.gov.uk/glynnvivian

Queen Victoria in Paris

Compton Verney Art Gallery, Warwickshire 15 October – 11 December 2016 Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter 17 December 2016 – 23 April 2017 The Wilson: Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum 17 June – 15 October 2017 The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle 24 March – 24 June 2018

In August 1855, made a historic State Visit to Paris, the first time a British monarch had visited the French capital in over 400 years. Just 40 years after the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo, France and Britain had entered a military alliance against Russia in the Crimean War. The Queen's visit to Paris was to celebrate this remarkable turnaround in Anglo-French relations, but also marked a close personal friendship between Queen Victoria and the French Emperor Napoleon III. This exhibition brings together 44 watercolours created for Queen Victoria to remember the events of the visit, half of which have never been exhibited before. Showing scenes of the splendid celebrations held in the Queen's honour, the watercolours capture this unique moment in British and French history. http://www.comptonverney.org.uk/ http://www.rammuseum.org.uk/ http://www.cheltenhammuseum.org.uk/ http://www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk/

Splendours of the Subcontinent: A Prince's Tour of India 1875–76

Cartwright Hall, Bradford 11 March – 18 June 2017 New Walk Museum and Art Gallery, Leicester 8 July – 29 October 2017

In October 1875, the Prince of Wales set off on a four-month tour of the Indian Subcontinent, visiting over 21 localities, which today encompass India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal. Developed in collaboration with Cartwright Hall, Bradford, and New Walk Museum & Art Gallery, Leicester, Splendours of the Subcontinent: A Prince's Tour of India tells the story of

Press Office, Royal Collection Trust, York House, St James’s Palace, London SW1A 1BQ T. +44 (0)20 7839 1377, [email protected], www.royalcollection.org.uk this through some of the finest Indian treasures from the Royal Collection that were presented to the Prince during his visit. http://www.bradfordmuseums.org/venues/cartwright-hall-art-gallery https://www.leicester.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/museums-and-galleries/our-venues/new-walk- museum-and-art-gallery

A promotional video is available to view and download here - https://vimeo.com/185803731/22c1ba53ed

Please note that tickets for exhibitions opening after 1 January 2017 will be available from Tuesday, 1 November 2016.

For further information and images please contact the Royal Collection Trust Press Office, [email protected], +44 (0)207 839 1377.

A selection of images is available to download from www.picselect.com.

Notes to Editors

Royal Collection Trust, a department of the Royal Household, is responsible for the care of the Royal Collection and manages the public opening of the official residences of The Queen. Income generated from admissions and from associated commercial activities contributes directly to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The aims of The Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational programmes. Royal Collection Trust’s work is undertaken without public funding of any kind.

The Royal Collection is among the largest and most important art collections in the world, and one of the last great European royal collections to remain intact. It comprises almost all aspects of the fine and decorative arts, and is spread among some 15 royal residences and former residences across the UK, most of which are regularly open to the public. The Royal Collection is held in trust by the Sovereign for her successors and the nation, and is not owned by The Queen as a private individual.

Admission to Windsor Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and The Queen's Galleries is managed by The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity in England and Wales (1016972) and in Scotland (SCO39772).

Press Office, Royal Collection Trust, York House, St James’s Palace, London SW1A 1BQ T. +44 (0)20 7839 1377, [email protected], www.royalcollection.org.uk