Royal Paintbox: Royal Artists Past and Present

A chance to see the daubs and dabbles of Britain’s kings, queens and their families from the 17th century to the present day, in an exhibition accompanying the ITV programme Royal Paintbox. Works on show include paintings, drawings and watercolours by George III and his children, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and their children, King Edward VII and even the Queen and the Prince of Wales. In some nice juxtapositions, work by the royals will be shown alongside the works and scenes that inspired them; George III’s second daughter, Princess Augusta, for example, made an etching after a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci from a group of the artist’s work that entered the Royal Collection during the reign of Charles II. Both are shown together in the exhibition, along with silhouettes and a large floral still life by the princess’s sister Elizabeth. Other highlights include the sketchbooks and teaching sheets of watercolour studies by Queen Victoria copied from the work of William Leighton Leitch, one of her drawing masters, and 15 watercolours by Prince Charles.