Discover the legendary art collection of Charles I. For the first time since the 17th century, this landmark exhibition brings together the astounding treasures that changed the taste of the nation.
We’ve released a limited number of tickets for the final day of Charles I, closing 9pm. Friends of the RA go free and don’t need to book, but there may be a queue for entry. Any returns will be available to purchase in person from the box office.
King Charles I amassed one of the most extraordinary art collections of his age, acquiring works by some of the finest artists of the past – Titian, Mantegna, Holbein, Dürer – and commissioning leading contemporary artists such as Van Dyck and Rubens.
Yet, following the king’s execution in 1649, his collection was sold off and scattered across Europe. While many works were retrieved by Charles II during the Restoration, others now form the core of museums such as the Louvre and the Prado.
Charles I: King and Collector reunites the greatest masterpieces of this magnificent collection for the first time. Celebrating its breadth and grandeur, it includes over 100 works of art, ranging from classical sculptures to Baroque paintings, and from exquisite miniatures to monumental tapestries. In showing these works together, the exhibition demonstrates the radical impact they had at the time and sheds light on how they fostered a vibrant visual culture that was hitherto unknown in England.
Join us to experience the most dazzling treasures of this unique collection, reunited in all their glory.
All ticket prices include £2.50 for a printed gallery guide.
Exhibition organised in partnership with Royal Collection Trust.
Monday – Thursday 10am – 6pm
Friday – Saturday 10am – 11pm
Sunday 10am – 9pm
£20 (without donation £18). Concessions available. Under-16s go free with a fee-paying adult. Free for Friends of the RA with no booking required
Main Galleries
The Times
During his reign, Charles I set about assembling an art collection to rival all others, but the exceptional masterpieces he amassed were sold off following his execution in 1649. Our exhibition reunites this legendary collection for the first time.
Anthony van Dyck, Charles I, 1635-6.
Anthony van Dyck, Charles I, c. 1632–36.
Titian, The Allocution of Alfonso d’Avalos to His Troops, 1540-41.
Anthony van Dyck, Cupid and Psyche, 1639-40.
Hans Holbein the Younger, Robert Cheseman, 1533.
Roman, Aphrodite ('The Crouching Venus'), second century.
Andrea Mantegna, Triumph of Caesar: The Vase Bearers, c.1484-92.
Titian, Charles V with a Dog, 1533.
On 16 April, the astounding paintings of King Charles I’s legendary art collection will once again be separated and sent back to their homes around the world, as our exhibition comes to an end. We’re open until 10pm every Friday, but to make sure you don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the reunited collection, we’re staying open late every night of the final weekend:
Friday 13 April open until 10pm
Saturday 14 April open until 11pm
Sunday 15 April open until 9pm
With a portrait of “The Queen’s Dwarf” on display at the RA, Tom Shakespeare argues we need to look beyond the painting’s spectacle to consider the person it’s depicting – and the uncomfortable truths it still carries today.
Charles I might have had a keen eye for art, but his queen’s eye was sharper and far more sophisticated. With the couple’s extraordinary art collection currently on display at the RA, the consort’s biographer Erin Griffey explores her life, style and legacy.
Tim Marlow gives a quick introduction to Artemisia Gentileschi, one of very few women who carved out a career in the 17th-century art world.
Catch up on an evening of short stories told by Man Booker Prize-winning author Graham Swift.
With our Charles I exhibition celebrating the monarch’s extraordinary art collection, we take a closer look at one of his favourite painters – the Baroque superstar Anthony van Dyck.
Catch up with recordings of events surrounding our exhibition reuniting the extraordinary art collection of Charles I.
Before you visit our blockbuster ‘Charles I’ exhibition, refresh your knowledge of Stuart history with our introduction to all the major players surrounding the King, matching up big names with impeccably painted faces.
As the RA prepares to show the great works of Charles I’s art collection, we go behind the scenes at Windsor Castle to see some rarely-shown Holbein drawings that are coming to the exhibition.
Political turmoil in 17th-century Europe threw up exciting pickings for Charles I’s art collection. But after a civil war that led to his execution, his masterpieces were dispersed across the globe. Here, Jenny Uglow introduces our show finally reuniting the king’s treasures.
The influence of the Flemish Baroque master can be seen across art history, from the portraits of Van Dyck to the prints of Picasso. Here’s a quick intro to “the prince of painters”.
Financial Times
This publication tells the compelling story of one of Europe’s most extraordinary art collections, assembled by King Charles I during his reign, now reunited for the first time at the Royal Academy.
With some 240 paintings and sculptures, this book explores the origins of the collection in gloriously vivid detail, featuring work by Van Dyck, Raphael, Rubens, Titian, Holbein, Mantegna, Leonardo, Rembrandt and many more.
Edited by Desmond Shawe-Taylor and Per Rumberg, the exhibition catalogue features contributions from David Ekserdjian, Dr Barbara Furlotti, Gregory Martin, Guido Rebecchini, Vanessa Remington, Dr Karen Serres, Lucy Whitaker, Jeremy Wood and Helen Wyld.
Delve into the court of King Charles I through the Exhibition in Focus guide, our in-depth introduction to the exhibition for secondary and further education students and teachers.
We offer large-print lists of works in all of our exhibitions for partially sighted visitors, available online or at the galleries for the duration of the show.
