Resources & Recommendations #14
to listen
A Tudor Mystery: The Girl Who Could Be Queen. Not Just the Tudors.
This episode solves the 400-year old mystery of a previously unknown portrait of a young woman, dressed to look just like Queen Elizabeth herself. When Emma Rutherford - the country's leading expert in portrait miniatures - first saw it, she knew that the painting was recognisably by the celebrated Elizabethan court painter Nicholas Hilliard. But who was the mysterious girl depicted? Together, Emma along with Hilliard’s biographer Dr. Elizabeth Goldring set out on some remarkable historical detective work to find out. What they discovered was a story ripe with political importance, espionage, diplomatic intrigue and the question of Elizabeth I's successor.
to watch
In December 2020, Margaret Morgan Grasselli and Joachim Homann sat down for a virtual ‘Coffee with Curators’ event for the Harvard Art Museums. The discussion explores the technical and artistic tools used in Renaissance workshops, examining how drawings served as both educational resources and creative studies for artists. Grasselli and Homann discuss the materials, techniques, and unique qualities of Renaissance drawings, providing insights into their significance and craftsmanship within the artistic traditions of the period, and their legacy within art history more broadly.
to read
A Curator at the Louvre: Charles Coypel and the Royal Collections, Esther Bell
The article explores Charles Coypel's role as a curator of royal collections in 18th-century France. Coypel, a painter and playwright, was appointed as the official curator at the Louvre under King Louis XV. The article details how he managed the king's art collections, influenced their presentation, and contributed to the development of the Louvre as a prominent cultural institution. Coypel's dual role as an artist and administrator highlights the evolving relationship between royal patronage and the arts during this period.
