Painted Ladies: Women at the Court of Charles II

    Nell Gwyn,    by Simon Verelst,    circa 1680,    NPG 2496,    © National Portrait Gallery, London Nell Gwyn, by Simon Verelst, circa 1680, NPG 2496, © National Portrait Gallery, London

Past exhibition archive
11 October 2001 - 6 January 2002

Wolfson Gallery

Admission £5, concessions £3

Sponsored by Classic FM & the Corporate Partners of the National Portrait Gallery

The first exploration and reconsideration of Restoration portraiture in nearly 20 years, this exhibition will include some of the most beautiful and fascinating paintings of the period, portraits of women of prominence and influence within the court of Charles II, from royal brides and daughters to mistresses and actresses. By looking at the context in which these portraits were produced, the life-histories of the women and their reputations at the time and subsequently, the exhibition will shed new light on one of the most neglected areas of British art history. The exhibition is co-organised by the National Portrait Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut; it will travel to New Haven in January 2002.