Published 19:51 IST, November 24th 2020
Buckingham Palace's picture gallery emptied out for renovation, artwork to be exhibited
The British Royal family has, for the first time in 44 years, emptied out the picture gallery of the Buckingham Palace to start renovations in the area.
The British Royal family has, for the first time in 44 years, emptied out the picture gallery of the Buckingham Palace to start renovations in the area. The royal residence is undergoing refurbishments since 2017 and experts have predicted that it would take seven more years to complete. The process which would see workers scraping off the antique wallpapers and furniture would incur a total cost of more than 369 million pounds.
The Royal Picture Gallary
The gallery was first constructed and ornated in the 1820s by the queen’s great grandfather George IV. However, nobody has ever fully emptied out this room since it was last decorated in 1976. Some of the artworks include Rembrandt's The Shipbuilder and His Wife, Vermeer's Lady at the Virginals with a Gentleman, and spectacular art pieces by Rembrandt, Van Dyck and Canaletto.
“The Picture Gallery is one of the principal State Rooms at Buckingham Palace and provides the backdrop for State Visits, receptions and other official events hosted by The Queen and other Members of the Royal Family. It is also home to some of the best-known painting, with works by Canaletto, Vermeer & Rembrandt on display,” the Royal Family’s Instagram page said about the gallery.
As a part of the reservicing, 65 paintings have already been removed from the walls and will be on display at the Royal Collection Trust exhibition for the meantime. In addendum, the process will include the gallery’s 200-year-old roof and removal of “ageing” pipes and wires. In addition, a new lift will also be installed in the area.
Royal Collection Trust exhibition
Artistic pieces composed by Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian, Vermeer, Van Dyck, Canaletto and many more will go on display due to royal gallery's renovation. According to reports, the 65 old paintings from the Royal Collection will be assembled together after they’re removed from the staterooms due to the renovations. The Queen’s “favourite” collection that includes Dutch and Italian art pieces will be shifted to the gallery as the £369million refurbishment work starts in the palace. Her majesty’s most “treasured” painting Rembrandt's The Shipbuilder and his Wife (1633) and other similar work by some
Image credits: Headout.com
Updated 19:49 IST, November 24th 2020