Charles II - Art and Power

Bird, Rufus and Martin Clayton [eds.]

ISBN 10: 1909741442 / ISBN 13: 9781909741447

Published by Royal Collection Trust 2017, London, 2017

About this Item

463 pp. Hardcover with gilt lettering to spine in pictorial jacket; pictorial endpapers. Lavishly illustrated. Binding shaken, with a tear to the top corner of the front cover, and damage to the binding in the same area. 'With a focus on the art and culture of the Restoration court during these years, this publication explores the development of an 'English baroque' and the use of court ritual and art by both monarchs. Rufus Bird, Deputy Surveyor of The Queen's Works of Art, RCT and Martin Clayton, Head of Prints and Drawings, RCT. Published to accompany the exhbition opening at The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, December 2017 and The Queen's Gallery, Holyroodhouse, November 2018. This is a heavy item and may require additional postage if being shipped outside of Europe. 9781909741447 8vo. Exhibition Catalogue.

Seller Inventory # 77682

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Charles II - Art and Power
• Publisher: Royal Collection Trust 2017, London
• Publication Date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1909741442
• ISBN 13: 9781909741447
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Art
  • History

About this title

Synopsis

The Restoration of the English monarchy in 1660 led to a resurgence of the arts in England, and Charles II became a leading patron and collector throughout the mid- and late seventeenth century. Fine and decorative arts served not only as furnishings for the royal residences but also as a means of glorifying the restored monarchy and reinforcing the position of Charles II as the rightful king.
 
Sumptuously illustrated, Charles II: Art & Power looks at the art and culture of the court of Charles II, as well as James II, who followed his brother as a liberal patron. It includes an exploration of the theme of power throughout the reigns of these monarchs, and looks at ritual and decorative uses of art and the development of a distinct "English Baroque." Among the many works of art showcased here are the replacement Crown Jewels made for the coronation of Charles II in 1661, John Michael Wright’s monumental portrait of Charles II in his coronation robes, the glittering gilt plate that adorned the altar of Westminster Abbey during the coronation, Charles II’s collection of Italian Old Master paintings and drawings, including by Leonardo da Vinci, and many spectacular furnishings from the Palace of Whitehall and St James’s Palace.
 
Published to accompany a major exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, Charles II: Art & Power matches an explanatory text with more than 400 lavish full-color illustrations that reveal the remarkable scope of Charles II and James II’s collecting.
 

About the Authors

Rufus Bird is surveyor of the Queen’s Works of Art at Royal Collection Trust.

Martin Clayton is head of prints and drawings for Royal Collection Trust. He is the author of Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing and the curator of the forthcoming exhibition Drawing the Italian Renaissance at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace.