In the 17th century Charles I brought Italian artists such as Orazio Gentileschi and Artemisia Gentileschi to his court. After he was executed by Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army, his son Charles II fled to the courts of Europe, where the rest of his family was protected. But upon the restoration of the monarchy, the English court was again filled with art and artists, and in this talk we’ll explore royal collecting.

Readings: Anna Reynolds, “Collecting Old Master Paintings,” in Charles II:\ _Art and Power,_ eds. Rufus Bird and Martin Clayton, exh. cat. The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, 8 December 2017–13 May 2018, pp.  247-253; Cat. Nos. 127,134, 135,136,139 and Lauren Porter, “Collecting Old Master Drawings,” 289-291; Cat. Nos 146 -151, 310-311, Cat. Nos. 152-155, 316; Cat. Nos. 156-158.