The face of Monarchy

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The face of monarchy
British Royalty Portrayed RICHARD ORMOND
/77 illustrations, including l6 in colour
Royal portraiture is a unique branch of portrait painting with its own particular rules and assumptions. As this anthology shows, truth to appearance has always had to be reconciled with the demands of regal imagery, with its emphasis on authority, nobility and personal beauty. The almost symbolic portraits of Elizabeth I show this principle at its most extreme; but it applies equally well to Van Dyck's infinitely more subtle but none the less flattering pictures of Charles I-pictures that have had a profound influence on the way he has been seen by posterity.
The British monarchy is famed for its capacity to develop and change with the times, and this has meant that the range of portraits is unusually rich and diverse. It extends from... Tovább

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The face of monarchy
British Royalty Portrayed RICHARD ORMOND
/77 illustrations, including l6 in colour
Royal portraiture is a unique branch of portrait painting with its own particular rules and assumptions. As this anthology shows, truth to appearance has always had to be reconciled with the demands of regal imagery, with its emphasis on authority, nobility and personal beauty. The almost symbolic portraits of Elizabeth I show this principle at its most extreme; but it applies equally well to Van Dyck's infinitely more subtle but none the less flattering pictures of Charles I-pictures that have had a profound influence on the way he has been seen by posterity.
The British monarchy is famed for its capacity to develop and change with the times, and this has meant that the range of portraits is unusually rich and diverse. It extends from Holbein's stunning portrait of Henry VIII to Lely's grand yet oddly sympathetic view of Charles 11; from the famous full-length of Richard II, enthroned like the Saviour, to ZofFany's enchantingly informal glimpse of Queen Charlotte at Buckingham Palace. Annigoni's celebrated portrait of Queen Elizabeth II is the most recent and perhaps the last successful attempt to portray a modern sovereign with the traditional trappings of authority.
This new anthology, published to coincide with the celebrations attending the 25th anniversary of the Queen's accession, presents an unrivalled series of images of our kings and queens, their consorts and their children, from William the Conqueror to the present day. The highly informative text, with biographies of each royal sitter and notes to the plates, is by Richard Ormond, Deputy Director of the National Portrait Gallery, and author of important monographs on Sargent and, with Leonee Ormond, on Leighton.
Jacket illustration: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Detail of the painting by Pietro Annigoni, 1955
Phaidon E. P. Button
Oxford New York Vissza