London, 13 April 2022 - Sotheby's will mark Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee with a month-long program of exhibitions, events and auctions celebrating the best of British creativity. Spanning the visual, performing, literary and culinary arts, and providing a platform for the next generation of artists, the Jubilee season will showcase the breadth, diversity and excellence of British creativity, complementing the house's traditional fine art marquee auctions this summer.
"Britain has long been known for its creativity and The Queen has been at the helm of this throughout her reign, both as custodian of a world-class collection, and the inspiration for artists, designers and more. This year, Her Majesty will become the first British Monarch to celebrate seventy years of service, the perfect opportunity for Sotheby's, with our unique position at the helm of both art and luxury, to celebrate creativity in all its forms, art, music, literature, food, fashion and performing arts," said Frances Christie, Deputy Chairman, Sotheby's UK and Ireland.
Alongside being honored partners of The Platinum Jubilee Pageant, Sotheby's will present the program to mark this national milestone. The galleries will be taken over by specially curated exhibitions of royal portraits, rare aristocratic jewels and important manuscripts, including works loaned from prestigious private collections, on view from 28 May to 15 June. Visitors will also be welcomed to a diverse program of talks, debates and musical and dramatic performances, centered around the themes of arts and creativity, history, and youth and the future.
Coinciding with the Jubilee, Sotheby's will hold British Art: The Jubilee Auction on 29 June, a sale dedicated to the very best of British art, from the Old Masters, through 20th-century giants to some of the greatest living artists still working today. As part of Sotheby's support of the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, the sale will include a new unique work of The Queen donated by Chris Levine, proceeds from which will benefit the Pageant. Further details on the auction highlights are to be announced in due course.
As part of the programming, Sotheby's is partnering with a number of Britain's heritage brands and institutions. Among them is Chatsworth, home to the Devonshire family, who will collaborate with Sotheby's Restaurant, where the Jubilee menus will feature Chatsworth estate-reared lamb, fresh produce from the Chatsworth kitchen gardens, Chatsworth Gin cocktails and a range of locally sourced ingredients from across the Derbyshire Dales. The Jubilee celebrations and British Art auction will also be presented in partnership with ultra-luxury performance car manufacturer Aston Martin. Founded in 1913, Royal Warrant holder Aston Martin has been at the heart of British design throughout the Queen's reign, and the partnership will celebrate 109 years of British design and engineering mastery.
Power & Image: Royal Portraiture & Iconography
For the last 500 years, royal portraiture has been a long-held tradition, allowing monarchs to present the image they wanted their subjects to perceive. This exhibition of portraits loaned from important country houses across the United Kingdom will present likenesses from the larger-than-life Tudors, the dynasty that first brought this art of the image to the fore, through to the modern portrayals of the present-day royals. The exhibition will showcase portraits of each of the seven queens regnant of Britain, led by the iconic Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I, on loan from the Woburn Abbey collection.
The famous painting commemorates the most decisive moment of Elizabeth I's reign, the failed invasion of England by the Spanish Armada in 1588. The most complete of three versions painted in that same year, it encapsulates the aspirations of the nation at a watershed moment in history while also carefully disseminating an awe-inspiring spectacle of female power and majesty. The world-famous collection at Woburn Abbey is one of the finest in private hands, including masterpieces by Rubens, Van Dyck, Canaletto, Reynolds, Gainsborough and Rembrandt.
From Queen Elizabeth I, to her namesake Queen Elizabeth II, is a richly colored portrait by Andy Warhol from the 1980s that is in equal parts glamorous and commanding, perfectly representing the global and 'celebrity' age in which she has reigned. The source image for the work is the official photographic portrait taken in The Queen's Silver Jubilee year a decade prior, reinterpreted in an intensely vibrant palette by the artist as part of a series titled Reigning Queens. Also featuring in the exhibition will be important portraits of Mary Queen of Scots, Queen Victoria, Queen Anne, Mary I and Mary II, lent from aristocratic and other distinguished British collections.
Sotheby's will also present a selection of books and manuscripts, all with royal provenance and history. Among the highlights is the death warrant of the 7th Earl of Northumberland, signed by Elizabeth I and sealed with her privy seal, on loan from Alnwick Castle, the seat of the 12th Duke of Northumberland. Dating to 20 July 1572, the letter draws up the writs and instructions necessary for the execution of the 7th Earl after his part in the disastrous 'Rising of the North'. A group of three splendid royal bindings for Elizabeth I, Queen Anne, and Elizabeth II will be on view from Wormsley Library, which houses one of the finest private collections of beautifully bound books and literature in the world. These include Archbishop Parker's binding for Elizabeth I with her crest on the cover, a spectacular embroidered bible in silver and gold threads with Queen Anne's crowned initials to the cover, and a finely bound Coronation Bible for Elizabeth II, one of 25 special copies of the bible used at the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953.
Aristocratic Tiaras
A non-selling exhibition of noble and aristocratic jewels will present tiaras with British and European royal provenance. It will chart the history of this most stately jewelry format since the late 18th century, when it was exalted to courtly fashion by Napoleon Bonaparte and Empress Josephine, in emulation of ancient Greek and Roman wearers. Prince Albert advanced this trend, as part of his wider interest in the art and engineering of jewelry making, by designing four tiaras for Queen Victoria. The tiaras on view will follow the evolution in designs prompted by monarchic taste, societal and economic shifts and influence from other art forms, through to contemporary jewelers redefining tiaras today.
Starring among these is a diamond tiara from the 1830s, designed as a wreath of diamond-set leaves in homage to the classical designs of ancient Rome and directly influenced by the revival of this symmetrical style during Napoleon's rule. Heading into the 20th century is an exquisite turquoise cabochon and diamond tiara by Van Cleef & Arpels, crafted in the 1960s at the peak of the West's fascination for Indian culture and jewelry design. Further highlights include an impressive diamond tiara from the 1880s, comprised of ornate scrollwork and foliate detailing, and another from the early 20th century, designed as a series of graduated scrolling, openwork stylized ribbon heart motifs. If visitors are tempted by the glittering sights, there is an option to purchase tiaras from a new generation of contemporary British designers.
Jubilee Arts Festival
Coinciding with the exhibitions, Sotheby's London will also open its doors to a series of events, from daily dramatic readings and talks to musical performances and book launches, by a diverse range of figures advancing and reinterpreting Britain's treasured cultural legacy. Throughout the Arts Festival, Sotheby's is thrilled to support next generation talent. Recent graduates from RADA, one of the oldest and most illustrious drama schools in the United Kingdom, with patronage from Queen Elizabeth II, will bring the art to life through an immersive series of stories, performance, and readings from Elizabeth I to the present day. Elsewhere, poet Theresa Lola will host a writing workshop for young people aged 14 to 19, and further highlights include musical performances from the Fantasia Orchestra, a group of elite young musicians formed by Tom Fetherstonhaugh.
Key dates for the diary include:
(Press Release)
