Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits from Holbein to Warhol

Exhibition Website

Oct 7 2018 - Jan 27 2019

    

Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits from Holbein to Warhol sheds new light on changing ideas of monarchy and nationhood in Britain. The exhibition features portraits of British royalty spanning 500 years, by artists from Hans Holbein and Sir Joshua Reynolds to Annie Leibovitz and Andy Warhol.

In a sweeping survey, Tudors to Windsors covers the cavalcade of kings, queens, princes, and princesses who have graced the British crown. The MFAH is the only U.S. venue to host this unprecedented exhibition, part of a major partnership with the National Portrait Gallery in London. Some 150 objects—most never before seen outside of England—tell the story of Britain’s monarchy through masterworks of painting, sculpture, and photography.

Visitors have an extraordinary opportunity to come face-to-face with the fascinating figures of British royalty. Tudors to Windsors explores four royal dynasties: the House of Tudor (1485–1603), the House of Stuart (1603–1714), the House of Hanover (1714–1901), and the present-day House of Windsor. Among the works on view are portraits of King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I, King George I, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, and Prince William.


Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.     
Image 1: Robert Peake the Elder, Henry, Prince of Wales, c. 1610, oil on canvas, National Portrait Gallery, London.  
Image 2: Hans Holbein the Younger, Portrait of Henry VIII, 1540, oil on wood, Palazzo Barberini, Rome


Whether or not you go, the companiuon piblication, Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits,  explores five British royal dynasties, from the Tudors to the Windsors, drawing on the Collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London, which embraces over 500 years of British history. It includes paintings and photographs by many of the most important artists to have worked in Britain, from Peter Lely and Godfrey Kneller to Cecil Beaton and Dorothy Wilding. A number of features on topics such as Royal Favorites, Royal Weddings, Satire, Royals at War and Royal Fashion provide insights into particular aspects of royal portraiture and trends within the genre. It also considers how each dynasty has been perceived and interpreted subsequently, with reference to popular culture and contemporary sources, and  includes a fully illustrated essay discussing royal patronage and key artists in royal portraiture, and an essay on the historical role of the monarchy in Britain.

Select Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits to learn more, or to place this book in your Amazon shopping cart. Your Amazon purchase through this link supports ArtGeek with a small commission.

  • Various Media
  • British
  • Portrait
  • Joshua Reynolds
  • Annie Leibovitz
  • Andy Warhol
  • Hans Holbein the Younger
  • and others

Exhibition Venues & Dates