Publisher's Synopsis
This is the first catalogue devoted to the extraordinary art collection formed by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The watercolours and drawings illustrated here, many for the first time, reflect the wide range of Queen Elizabeth's personal interests and her enthusiastic patronage of contemporary artists from the 1930s onwards. This catalogue includes a substantial and lavishly illustrated introduction which investigates Queen Elizabeth's approach to art collecting, particularly her strong support for the arts during the Second World War. Private letters from this period written by her close friends - patrons Sir Kenneth Clark, Sir Jasper Ridley, Sir Osbert Sitwell, and artists Rex Whistler, Augustus John and Edward Seago - are quoted for the first time. Each of the 73 drawings and watercolours is illustrated in colour.;The catalogue is arranged in three parts: firstly, a biographical section, incorporating portraits and records of events of both personal and national significance; secondly, a section drawn from Queen Elizabeth's extensive collection of watercolours of her residences; and thirdly, a diverse section of landscapes, topographical watercolours, still lifes and figure studies by artists ranging from Thomas Gainsborough to John Bratby.
