ESU Happy Hour: Art and Power - The Royal Collection from Charles I to Elizabeth II

The British Royal Collection of over a million items is the world's largest art collection owned by one person and includes furniture, tapestries, and porcelain as well as paintings. The picture collection began in 1623 with King Charles I, the first serious royal patron of the arts, who brought Van Dyke and Rubens to England and acquired many Italian paintings. Ever since, nearly every British monarch has acquired works of art, often as a sign of status and power. How the collection grew over the centuries, often at such great expense that it caused political conflict, is a fascinating story, told by UCF Professor Emeritus Gerald Schiffhorst.