Palace's gallery doubles number of paintings

Palace's gallery doubles number of paintingsImage source, Royal Collection TrustImage caption, This new bay of paintings illustrates the flourishing of British art in the 18th CenturyByAmy ClarkePublished24 minutes agoVisitors to Buckingham Palace this summer will be able to see almost twice as many paintings in the Picture Gallery following a redisplay of the Royal Collection.The Picture Gallery, one of the State Rooms open to members of the public during the summer months, now displays 120 paintings, up from 63.The transformation took 875 hours and included the installation of emerald-green silk wall hangings and new lighting.Anna Reynolds, surveyor of the King's pictures, said: "This rehang is an exciting and rare opportunity to significantly increase the number of world-class paintings on display for visitors, in line with our charitable aim to share as much of the Royal Collection as possible."Image source, Royal Collection TrustImage caption, The Picture Gallery was first designed to showcase George IV's collectionOver the years, the room has been decorated in a range of colours, including golden yellow, lilac (which was fashionable during the Victorian period), crimson red, olive green and coral-pink. The Picture Gallery was originally designed to showcase George IV's collection as part of architect John Nash's transformation of Buckingham House into Buckingham Palace.George IV died before seeing the project completed, and the first paintings were hung after his niece Queen Victoria ascended to the throne in 1837.Image source, Royal Collection TrustImage caption, A Young Man with a Falcon, attributed to Jan van Boeckhorst, c.1630, is the painting that has undergone the most conservation to prepare it for public displayToday, the room is used by the Royal Family to host guests, including heads of state, and for receptions and celebrations. It is now visited by more than half a million visitors each year.Highlights of the redi...