HM The King has long been an enthusiastic and generous patron of the arts. His support for young artists and the importance of traditional skills-based practice in education led to the foundation of The Royal Drawing School in 2000. However, it was 15 years before that he began what has become a cornerstone in the ongoing tradition of Royal Patronage. In 1985 HM, then Prince of Wales, invited the great academic painter John Ward RA to accompany him on a Royal Tour to Italy with a view to creating an artistic record of the visit. As a proponent and fellow practitioner of painting en plein air, HM recognised the extra dimension that the medium could bring to an otherwise purely photographic reportage.
Four decades later and with the artistic careers of forty-two professional painters significantly enhanced, the tradition is currently celebrated in an exhibition of Tour artists’ work at Buckingham Palace and through the publication of a new book, The Art of Royal Travel: Journeys with The King.
We are delighted that four of those artists are regular exhibitors here at the gallery and so we were naturally inspired by the book and the exhibitions at the Palace to host our own modest tribute to the painters of the Royal Tour.
● Sold
● Reserved
If you are interested in any of the reserved paintings, it is worth contacting the gallery as they may become available.
