The Art of Italy in the Royal Collection comes to The Queen's Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse in two parts in 2008 and 2009. Part two, seen here, centers on the Baroque. The 74 paintings and drawings selected for the exhibition amply illustrate the great stylistic diversity of this long artistic era. Highlights include works by Caravaggio, Bernini, Domenico Fetti, and the painters Gentileschi.
The Stuart king Charles I (1600-1649) was first responsible for bringing 16th- and 17th-century Italian art to the Royal Collection. Most of his acquisitions were sold on Cromwell's order during the Interregnum. After the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, Charles II (1630-1685) was particularly keen to track down and regain his father's Italian pieces. From then on, other royal patrons (notably Frederick, Prince of Wales; George III; George IV; Queen Victoria and Prince Albert; and Queen Mary, consort of George V) have augmented this key component of the Royal Collection.
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