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The Royal Family owns a lot of art. Now, a ‘once-in-a-generation’ re-display means that plebs like us are able to view twice as many paintings from their mind boggling collection than before.
Buckingham Palace’s Picture Gallery, which is one of the State Rooms that opens to visitors every summer, now has 120 paintings on display, up from 63 previously.
The glowed-up room reopened to the public on Thursday, July 9. As well as almost 60 more artworks which took 875 hours to hang, the Picture Gallery has new emerald-green silk wall hangings and improved lighting.
The new display features historic watercolours, photographs, inventories and architectural schemes, as well as more priceless pieces from world-famous artists. The Dutch Masters get a main-character moment, as George IV’s painting collection was one of the finest holdings of 17th-century Dutch paintings in the world.
Here are some of the best paintings that are newly on public display.
‘The Tribuna of the Uffizi’ by Johan Zoffany
This eclectic painting by the German artist who was active in Britain depicts the Uffizi gallery in Florence. Featuring paintings within a painting, visible artworks represented include pieces by Holbein, Rubens and Raphael. Although commissioned by Queen Charlotte, the painting was never hung in her apartments as it was reported she found it overcrowded and unconventional. We can see why, but we also think this one slaps
‘Johann Christian Fischer’ by Thomas Gainsborough
It’s thought that this portrait by 18th century English painter Gainsborough has never hung in the Picture Gallery before. It depicts Johann Christian Fischer, a German composer and oboe player who was a member of the Queen’s Band.
Five Rembrandts
Five paintings by the Dutch icon are now displayed in the Picture Gallery, demonstrating the breadth of his work. They are shown with one painting attributed to his studio.
‘Anthony Van Dyck’ by Rubens
Rubens painted this portrait of his star pupil around 1627. It was first recorded to be on display in the ‘passage between the green room and closet’ at Whitehall Palace in 1666. Now it hangs alongside Rubens’ ‘Self Portrait’ just like it did in the 1660s.
‘The Letter’ by Gerard ter Borch
Painted by Vermeer’s contemporary Gerard ter Borch, this painting shows an intimate scene of a woman with a letter. It hangs with Vermeer’s ‘Lady at the Virginals with a Gentleman’.
‘The Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew’ by Caravaggio
This new one (not literally, it was completed by 1606) by Caravaggio depicts a young Jesus Christ leading the brothers Peter and Andrew. It’s displayed alongside other Italian, French and Flemish masterpieces, including ‘Christ Healing the Paralysed Man’ by Van Dyck.
ICYMI: Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth will unveil a striking new sculpture in September.
Plus: The best art exhibitions on in London right now.
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