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Review: 'The Queen - Fine Art As Well As Image' At The Npg

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The Queen: Art & Image is the latest exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery.  It's an seek inwards the history of portraiture over the terminal threescore years too in all likelihood says equally much nearly the artists too photographers who accept endeavoured to capture the Queen inwards 2D equally it does nearly the Queen.

That signal was real clear to me terminal calendar week when I viewed this exhibition - too for that argue lonely I recommend this exhibition for all those interested inwards portraiture.

The exhibition is organised according to decades too moving through the exhibition felt a picayune chip similar reliving one's life.  The Queen ascended the throne a picayune patch earlier I was born too she's ever been at that topographic point - only equally the images of her also became images inwards my life.

It was totally fascinating to meet about of them for the showtime fourth dimension too to realise how small-scale they are inwards reality.  Others impress inwards ways I wasn't expecting.

I waited a calendar week earlier writing this review to meet what remained amongst me.
Other thoughts which occurred to me terminal calendar week too stayed amongst me this calendar week are that:
  • the exhibition is somewhat smaller but much to a greater extent than interesting than I was expecting - because it operates on a release of layers.  The temporal modify is to a greater extent than fascinating than I expected.  You meet how the representation of an private such equally the Queen changes over fourth dimension when interpreted by dissimilar people.  Oddly it's almost equally it comes total circle over the threescore years - it starts amongst romance too ends amongst images which are almost mythical inwards quality.
  • it's astonishing to live on inwards an exhibition where such a gain of various artists too photographers accept participated inwards the procedure of creating an paradigm of the Queen.  Who would accept ever thought to meet Andy Warhol inwards the same exhibition equally Cecil Beaton?
The Queen Art & Image - in the 1950s too 1960s
an emphasis on the romantic idealistic image too menage unit of measurement life
The Queen Art & Image - in the 1970s
The Silver Jubilee too becoming a grandmother for the showtime time
The Queen Art & Image - in the 1990s
contemporary interpretations of a monarch - including screenprints past times Andy Warhol (1985)
Queen Elizabeth II past times Lucian Freud (2001)
The Royal Collection
© Lucian Freud Archive
Artists included inwards the exhibition include:
Two plant past times Gerhard Richter
(left) Elizabeth I past times Gerhard Richter, 1966 (the glazing of this photograph is reflecting other exhibits)
(right0 Queen Elizabeth II - a paradigm past times Gerhard Richter, 1967 - emphasising colour too removing detail
© Gerhard Richter
The images which remain inwards land thought inwards my mind's oculus are:
  • Equanimity - past times Chris Levine - which I'll write nearly inwards a carve upward ship because it deserves one.
  • an early on bromide photograph past times Cecil Beaton - real romantic too idealised when compared to his color impress done at the fourth dimension of the Coronation which is completely OTT.
Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton
crop of a bromide print, 1955 (14 3/4 in. x xi 1/2 in. (374 mm x 293 mm) overall)
- click this link for the total photo
- a paradigm of Windsor Castle fills the background too the Queen is inwards Garter robes
  • the photographs of the emotional responses of the Queen - seen laughing on a duo of dissimilar occasions too also real shocked (by the Windsor Castle fire).  I mean value nosotros too then oft meet her looking quite serious - or at to the lowest degree "very composed" - that it yet comes equally something of a stupor to meet her reacting equally an ordinary human being.
Queen Elizabeth II past times Eve Arnold
 cibachrome print, 1968
17 1/4 in. x xi 5/8 in. (432 mm x 295 mm)
  • The ii paintings past times Pietro Annigoni were interesting to meet inwards mortal - but are in all likelihood of limited appeal to most people equally I gauge a lot of people, similar me, constitute them equally good remote.  Maybe that's a comment on the conflict between majesty and accessibility? (see Queen Elizabeth II past times Pietro Annigoni)
  • Oddly enough, I actually liked the Warhols!  The screenprints when seen equally a serial were a lot to a greater extent than impressive than I was expecting.
  • I'm non sure I liked whatsoever of the conventional formal portraits past times painters.  Maybe 'like' isn't a give-and-take y'all job much nearly majestic portraits.  I sure enough felt the photographic portraits captured her better.
Prince Philip saw the exhibition inwards Edinburgh too patently stood for a real long fourth dimension inwards forepart of the Diamond Jubilee Portrait of the Queen amongst Prince Phillip

Queen Elizabeth II too the Duke of Ediburgh, Windsor Castle 2011
©  Thomas Struth
National Portrait Gallery, London 
It's worth remembering when viewing the exhibition that the Queen is in all likelihood the most photographed too painted mortal inwards history.  She's the dependent land of 712 portraits inwards the National Gallery alone.

Earlier this yr I predicted that this exhibition would live on i of the ones inwards the U.K. which attracted the most visitors this year.  The timing of its arrival at the National Portrait Gallery, later on its tour to Cardiff, Edinburgh too Belfast, is perfect for the Jubilee weekend which starts the weekend later on side past times side too the Olympics.

Great Quotation - equally seen on the wall of the exhibition too associated memorabilia

Facts nearly the Queen

I was dismayed to larn of late that rather a lot of people don't know equally good much nearly the Queen.  So here's a synopsis:
  • Queen Elizabeth II has been the monarch of the U.K. too the Head of the Commonwealth since 1952 when she succeeded her virile mortal bring upward King George VI.  She was 25 years former when she became Queen.
  • Her coronation inwards 1953 was the showtime to ever live on televised (and at that topographic point is cinema of the ceremony inwards the exhibition)
  • She has had 3 Jubilees: Silver Jubilee inwards 1977, a Golden Jubilee inwards 2002 too the Diamond Jubilee this year.
  • She has reigned for the instant longest menstruation of whatsoever British monarch.  Judging past times how active too agree she is, she should vanquish Queen Victoria's tape reign of 63 years too vii months inwards the summertime of 2015.
How to meet this exhibition

WHERE: National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place WC2H 0HE.  Nearest Underground: Leicester Square/Charing Cross
WHEN:  Until 21 Oct 2012.  
  • Opening hours Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday: 10am – 6pm (Gallery closure commences at 5.50pm) 
  • Late Opening: Thursday, Friday: 10am – 9pm (Gallery closure commences at 8.50pm) 
ADMISSION: 
  • £6; concessions £5-£5.50.  
  • Gallery Supporters too children nether 12 years inwards menage unit of measurement groups tin go inwards for free. 
  • A express amount of tickets volition live on available from the Information Desk on the day. Please become far early on to avoid disappointment.
  • Book Tickets: The NPG recommends that Advance booking is highly recommended for this exhibition, peculiarly at weekends.
MORE INFORMATION:
  • General information: 0207 306 0055 
  • Recorded information: 020 7312 2463 

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