Royal riches

The treasures of the Royal Collection are usually dispersed among the various royal palaces and residences throughout Britain. For the first time in more than 40 years, the earlier Italian paintings and drawings have been brought together in a substantial exhibition which is rich in visual and historical delights. In what is really a tribute to the artistic taste and collecting enthusiasm particularly of the first Stuart kings, Charles I and Charles II, this exhibition maps the development of the Royal Collection as seen through the acquisition of a remarkable succession of Italian masterpieces. Although Charles I’s unparalleled collection was broken up and sold during the Commonwealth, Charles II devoted considerable time and energy to reclaiming items from it, while adding further paintings. He was also a keen collector of drawings, the first British monarch to show interest in what had previously been seen as little more than the litter of the studio.