Historic exhibition Charles I: King and Collector opens in London in 2018

May 23, 2017

Anthony van Dyck, Queen Henrietta Maria with Sir Jeffrey Hudson, 1633; Oil on canvas, 219.1 x 134.8 cm; National Gallery of Art, Washington. Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1952.5.39; Photo © Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

To begin its 250 year of celebrations, the Royal Academy of Arts in London will unveil Charles I: King and Collector in January 2018. This exhibition, supported by BNY Mellon, will showcase the exceptional art collected and commissioned by King Charles I, much of which has not been seen together since the seventeenth century.

Charles I: King and Collector will reunite around 150 works including pieces from Rubens, Van Dyck, Holbein and Titian for the first time since the collection was sold and dispersed across Europe shortly after his death.

Open to the public from January 27-April 15, 2018, the exhibition will provide an unprecedented opportunity to appreciate masterpieces from the fifteenth to the seventeenth century.

Central to the exhibition are a series of works from Anthony van Dyck depicting Charles I during his reign.

Charles I: King and Collector will include major loans from the Royal Collection alongside pieces from private and public collections across Europe and the USA.

'The history of art and the essence of creative expression weave through the fabric of BNY Mellon' said Michael Cole-Fontayn, EMEA Chairman, BNY Mellon. 'Public access and education remain central to our international program of arts sponsorship and, as the Royal Academy's official 250 Anniversary Partner in 2018, we are delighted to support Charles I: King and Collector at the start of this special year of celebration.'

If you are visiting London and would like to view the exhibition, you can reserve tickets on the Royal Academy's website.

To join the discussion about the exhibition on Twitter, follow the hashtag #CharlesI