Enfilade

George I, followed by the future George II and Queen Caroline.
Photo by Miles Willis from a shoot at Hampton Court,
© Miles Willis 2014

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Press release (20 February 2014) from Historic Royal Palaces:

The Glorious Georges
Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace, 17 April — 30 November 2014

Throughout 2014, Historic Royal Palaces will bring the Georgian court and its intriguing cast of royal characters to life, in celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Hanoverian accession to the British throne. These three unlikely monarchs, George I, his son George II, and great-grandson George III, presided over a remarkable era of British history which transformed society and saw the emergence of much that remains ‘quintessentially British’ today. At the very heart of this flourishing nation, within the walls of magnificent royal palaces, sat the Court. Elegant, yet decadent and riven with intrigue and scandal, it captured the imagination of the 18th-century British public and the printing press, making celebrities of the Georgian monarchs and their courtiers.

Visitors to Hampton Court, Kensington and Kew Palaces will be able to step back 300 years, and experience the sights, sounds and even smells of the Georgian age, to celebrate these often overlooked Kings and Queens, and the fascinating era in which they lived. The 18th century court has also inspired an exciting programme of events. Visitors of all ages can explore the music, the fashions and the food and even the fireworks of the Georgian court throughout 2014.

At Hampton Court Palace, meet King George I, who arrived in London in 1714 with a limited grasp on the English language, and a complicated family history. Join his court as tensions brew between the King and his son, the Prince of Wales, forcing courtiers to choose sides. A stunning re-presentation of the Queen’s State Apartments will explore who the Hanoverians were, how they came to rule Britain and how their extraordinary bitter family rows played out in public.

The story continues at Kensington Palace, where the glittering court of George II and Queen Caroline burst onto the scene in 1727. Their arrival heralded a new era of culture, music and fashion at the British court. The stories of court will brought to life against the backdrop of William Kent’s beautifully restored King’s State Apartments. In 2014, visitors to these fabulous spaces can explore a feast for the senses, featuring Georgian music, court gossip, and lavish fashion, the displays at Kensington will explore the intellectual pursuits of Queen Caroline and her circle. Visitors will be able to meet the Queen in person, in a morning ‘levee’, as she is dressed by her rival, the King’s mistress, Henrietta Howard.

Finally, at Kew Palace, the little known younger years of King George III (later infamous for his bouts of ‘madness’) will be uncovered in a dazzling new display for 2014. A series of fascinating objects will illuminate his education at Kew Palace and highlight many of the interests and influences which shaped a young King who went on to be the first Hanoverian monarch to truly glorify in his Britishness.

Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator, Historic Royal Palaces, said: “These Georgian kings, with all their extraordinary family rivalries, and complex, intriguing courts, have become something of a footnote in British history, often over-shadowed by more glamourous predecessors, and by the tumultuous period of history in which they lived. The Glorious Georges season at Historic Royal Palaces in 2014 is about putting them back on the map. Immersed in the world of the Georgian court, within the walls of their Palaces, visitors will discover that the Hanoverian dynasty presided over a dramatic century in style, preserving the monarchy, and eventually transforming themselves into a very British royal family.”

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Note from the Editor

In the midst of HRP’s robust marketing, descriptions of the installations and actual objects on display are sometimes overshadowed. Based on my visit earlier this month in connection with the Enlightened Princesses conference, I’m glad to recommend a visit for the summer festivities (I’m also glad to report that the conference was immensely stimulating thanks to terrific talks and, as a bonus, fabulous music from Arcangelo).

Each time I’m at Hampton Court, the palace makes a little more sense even as I’m confused by new things. My basic framework of juxtaposing the grand Tudor country-house-turned-palace with the never-quite-finished building campaign of William and Mary is now complicated by a fuller appreciation of the Georgian layer. It’s particularly interesting to see the future George II and Caroline sharing the Queen’s Apartments during the reign of George I (who, of course, didn’t need the quarters for his own queen whom he divorced and imprisoned back in Hanover). Access to the servants’ and courtiers’ staircase came as a small, deeply satisfying revelation for me. And included in the dining room is an installation of folded linen by Catalonian artist Joan Sallas, who last year produced an installation for Waddesdon Manor, detailed in the video below. For the Hampton Court work, think less heraldry and more animals to be eaten (rabbit, shellfish, fowl, &c.) strewn across the table. Absolutely stunning.

-Craig Hanson

http://vimeo.com/68075616

Exhibitions observing the Hanoverian tercentennial just keep coming (and forgive the use of an image used to mark materials appropriate for kids twelve and older; it’s simply the best high-resolution version I could find of a logo that appears in various guises throughout the marketing of the exhibitions). Comparing the exhibitions in Britain with those in Germany would seem interesting; for anyone interested in George II’s illegitimate son, Reichsgraf Johann Ludwig von Wallmoden-Gimborn, I think you’ll do much better in Hanover. –CH

From the exhibition website:

Als die Royals aus Hannover kamen
Hanover, 17 May — 5 October 2014

For 123 years, the Electorate of Hanover and the Kingdom of Great Britain were linked by a single monarch. This important historical period is the theme of the Lower Saxony State Exhibition 2014. From 17th May to 5th October 2014 five exhibitions in palaces and museums in Hanover and Celle will be dedicated to the numerous facets and interactions that characterised the personal union. We invite you to discover the time when the royals came from Hanover.

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The Hanoverians on Britain’s Throne, 1714–1837
Lower Saxony State Museum Hanover, 17 May — 5 October 2014

State Crown of George I, 1715 (Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 2014)

The major central exhibition in the Lower Saxony State Museum Hanover provides an overview of the whole period of the personal union. Based on the biographies of George I, George II, George III, George IV, and William IV, the life and works of the five rulers, as well as important historical events from this time, such as the Seven Years’ War, the battle for independence of the American colonies, and the Napoleonic Age, are explored. Visitors also learn what effect the connection between the two unequal empires had on the fields of art, culture, science and society.

The pomp and ceremony of the court in London is addressed, as is the founding of the University of Göttingen, the significance of George Friedrich Handel and the influence of English fashion in Hanover. Topics such as travel, horses, tea or language and portraits of important characters from this time, including Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Jonathan Swift and Jane Austen, paint a multi-faceted picture of the time when the royals came from Hanover. Visitors can view some 450 outstanding exhibits from German, British and international museums, including the State Crown of George I and numerous other precious items on loan from the Royal Collection of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. They are attractively displayed and supplemented by audio and multimedia exhibits.

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The Hanoverians on Britain’s Throne, 1714–1837
Museum Herrenhausen Palace, Hanover, 17 May — 5 October 2014

To be staged in the wings of the rebuilt Herrenhausen Palace that house the museum, the exhibition recounts the story of the new Electorate of Hanover on the eve of the personal union and during its early years. The show not only reveals the essential elements of representative court life around the turn of the 18th century but also brings together a fascinating selection of fine exhibits ranging from Baroque pomp to the simple everyday court life of the Guelphs of Hanover.

In the west wing of the former Guelph summer residence, the visitor encounters the unique collection of Reichsgraf Johann Ludwig von Wallmoden-Gimborn (1736–1811). As the illegitimate son of George II, he was born and grew up in England, brought his passion for art from the island to Hanover, and established an important collection of antiques and paintings here. Dispersed by auction in 1818, now over 200 years later, some highlights of the large number of treasures from international museums are on show in Hanover for the first time again.

State Carriage of Prince of Wales Georg IV, built in 1782
and since 1814 state carriage no. 1 for the kings in Hannoverc
(Loan SKH Prinz Ernst August von Hannover)

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One Coach and Two Kingdoms: Hanover and Great Britain, 1814–1837
Historisches Museum Hannover, 17 May — 5 October 2014

The Royal State Coach is the centrepiece of this exhibition. This impressive coach was built in 1782 for the Opening of Parliament ceremony in London. In 1814, following victory over the Napoleonic troops and the elevation of Hanover to a Kingdom, the coach was brought over to the mainland. The coach was used in 1821 on the occasion of King George IV’s long awaited trip to Hanover. The exhibition tells the story of the Royal State Coach, which serves as a unique illustration of the personal connection between Great Britain and Hanover. In addition, the exhibition portrays the young Kingdom of Hanover against the background of British world power: the Guelph rulers and their local representatives, the political debates about the Constitution and land reforms, the extensive traditional economy, as well as Hanover as a royal seat, which was given a grandiose new face by Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves, master builder to the court.

John Hamilton Mortimer, A Caricature Group, ca. 1766
(New Haven: Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection)

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Royal Theatre: British Caricatures from the Time of the Personal Union and the Present Day
Wilhelm Busch – Deutsches Museum für Karikatur und Zeichenkunst, Hannover, 17 May — 5 October 2014

In the thematic exhibition in the Wallmoden Palace, the era of the Personal Union is scrutinized in detail: with some 250 high quality exhibits, the exhibition presents a lively picture of the English monarchy and society at the time of the Personal Union, while also making the connection between the single sheet caricatures of 300 years ago and caricatures in the press today. Then, just as they do now, caricatures criticised parliamentary policies, commentated with glee on court scandals and intrigues, and entertained the public with society gossip. Even the Kings of the House of Hanover had to put up with the mockery of the caricaturists, just as Queen Elizabeth II has to today. Items on loan from international, predominantly British, museums and collections as well as from contemporary cartoonists supplement the already impressive collection of the museum Wilhelm Busch – Deutsches Museum für Karikatur und Zeichenkunst.

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Ready for the Island: The House of Brunswick-Lüneburg on the Path to London
Residenzmuseum in Celle Castle, 17 May — 5 October 2014

Attributed to Jacques Vaillant, Sophie Dorothea with Her Children Georg August (the future George II) and Sophie Dorothea, ca. 1690 (Residenzmuseum im Celler Schloss / Bomann-Museum Celle)

How does one get ‘Ready for the Island’? Glorious wars and magnificent festivals present the power and glory of the Guelphs to the world. Even today, the works of art from this period are greeted with wonder. However, behind the gleaming facade, family intrigues and tragedies were played out. Daughters toppled their fathers from the throne; sons were imprisoned by their own father. In the historic setting of the original locations in the Residenzmuseum in the Celle Palace we take a look not only at the attractive outward image, but also at the reality behind the facade. It quickly becomes clear that the Guelphs systematically engineered their rise to power through marriage, wars and festivals. Unique exhibits from home and abroad bring this exciting history back to life once more.

Additional images are available here»

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In connection with the exhibition Ships, Clocks, and Stars: The Quest for Longitude; from the Royal Museums Greenwich:

Longitude Punk’d
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, 10 April 2014 — 4 January 2015

Steampunk artists have taken over the Royal Observatory! Let madcap inventors, stargazing scientists, and extremely elegant explorers take you on an adventure into a world where scientific convention and the laws of nature have been re-written. Their fabulous narrative lavishly reinterprets the science and drama of the 18th-century quest to find longitude at sea, inspired by the 300th anniversary of the Longitude Act

Explore this exclusive exhibition of eccentric inventions specially created by steampunk luminaries including award-winning novelist Robert Rankin—exuberantly blurring the boundaries between art and science, fact and fiction. Don’t miss this chance to see something completely unique, never tried before and in the last place you would expect to see it. Meet time-travelling Astronomer Royal Nevil Maskelyne, observe Martian goings-on through our Victorian telescope, or come to a themed Steampunk film screening in our Punk’d events season (including The Adventures of Baron Munchausen).

Longitude Punk’d is part of Royal Museums Greenwich’s Longitude Season, celebrating the tercentenary of the Longitude Act with exhibitions, special events, and planetarium shows.

William Hodges, A View of the Monuments of Easter Island (Rapanui), ca.1776
(London: National Maritime Museum, BHC1795)

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Press release (17 June 2014) from the Royal Museums Greenwich:

The Art and Science of Exploration, 1768–80
Queen’s House, Greenwich, from 7 August 2014

This August The Art and Science of Exploration, 1768–80 opens in the newly refurbished rooms at the centre of the Queen’s House. Exploring the crucial role of artists on Captain Cook’s three voyages of discovery, the exhibition will be the first time that Stubbs’s Portrait of a Large Dog (Dingo) and The Kongouro from New Holland (Kangaroo) will be on display since they were acquired by the National Maritime Museum in November 2013.

When Cook’s first expedition to the South Pacific returned to Britain in 1771, he brought back accounts and images of extraordinary lands, people, flora and fauna. Returning twice more over the following decade, Cook established a pattern for voyages of discovery that combined scientific investigation with artistic response. The newly-acquired Stubbs paintings will be joined by portraits, landscapes and scenes of encounters with Pacific islanders by William Hodges and John Webber as well as botanical prints and original drawings by Sydney Parkinson.

John Webber, Poedua, the Daughter of Orio, ca.1784 (London: National Maritime Museum, BHC2957)

Artists played an essential role on Captain Cook’s three voyages, producing both scientific records and imaginative responses to the unfamiliar lands that they encountered, forever influencing how the British public saw the Pacific. William Hodges was to become the first professional English painter to meet people previously unaffected by European contact, whilst John Webber’s painting of Poedua, the Daughter of Orio is one of the earliest portraits of a Polynesian woman by a European painter. The artists’ works were crucial to how places and discoveries were brought back and interpreted by those in Britain. Hodges’s paintings, particularly Tahiti Revisited, show how artists adapted the techniques and styles learnt in Europe to depict these exotic scenes for a British audience.

The middle section of The Art and Science of Exploration, 1768–80 looks at the work of Hodges, the artist who experimented and developed the most during his explorations with Cook and shared an interest in climate with the scientific men on board. He produced bright, vibrant studies that were on-the-spot responses to his environment with none of the classical allusion added to his later finished paintings. On display is Hodges’s A View of the Cape of Good Hope, Taken on the Spot, From On Board the Resolution, exhibited at the Free Society of Artists before he returned, along with eight of his small sketches, including the last oil study made on the second voyage, View of Resolution Bay in the Marquesas.

The third aspect of the exhibition focuses on the 30,000 dried plants and 955 botanical drawings by Sydney Parkinson that were brought back from Cook’s first voyage. The sheer quantity of new plants recorded was a defining feature of this expedition. Parkinson died during the return journey but his patron, the naturalist Joseph Banks planned to produce a book, employing a large group of artists to complete watercolours and engravings based on Parkinson’s sketches. However, it was not until the 1980s that all 743 prints were made. On display will be Parkinson’s original drawing, the watercolour, copper plate, engraving proof (all on loan from the Natural History Museum), and final print of two specimens collected at Endeavour River, Northern Queensland in 1770.

This exhibition shows the important role that artists had on the Cook voyages and on the European understanding of these faraway lands. They produced extraordinary images which worked both as scientific records of carefully planned exploration, as well as sensitive representations of an unfolding new world.

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Note (added 19 August 2014) — In April 2015 George Stubbs’s The Kongouro from New Holland will start a 12-month tour to four UK museums: The Horniman Museum and Gardens in London, The Captain Cook Memorial Museum in Whitby, The Grant Museum of Zoology at UCL, and the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow.