"The paintings in the Royal Collection span 500 years of history. From Tudor times onwards works by outstanding artists such as Holbein, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough and Reynolds have been acquired by the reigning monarch either for public display or private enjoyment." "Thanks to television, exhibitions and publications, and the wider opening of the Royal Residences to the public, the pictures are now better known than ever before, but the stories behind their acquisition are perhaps less familiar. With this in mind, the present Surveyor of The Queen's Pictures, Christopher Lloyd, here presents a wide-ranging account of the activities of the four great sovereign collectors - Charles I, George III, George IV, and Queen Victoria (guided by Prince Albert). In looking at the paintings not chronologically but thematically, under headings such as 'The Genius of Italy', 'The Sword and The Sceptre', 'Private View' and 'The Regal Image', he is able to make new and thought-provoking juxtapositions which not only show the extent of the Collection but also add to our understanding of the often complex relationship between artist and royal patron."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved