Royal Collection Trust - The art of Valentine's Day

 

FEBRUARY 2021

LOVE AND DESIRE IN THE ROYAL COLLECTION

As Valentine’s Day approaches, we’re looking at themes of love and desire in the Royal Collection. Romance has always been a popular subject in art and literature, and many objects in the Collection feature romantic symbols that we recognise today like hearts, cupids and flowers. Read our trail to learn about the origins of Valentine's Day, find out how Michelangelo used archers as symbols of passion and discover why Rowntree's made a very small box of chocolates.  Also coming up, we have a Valentine's-themed writing challenge, details of a special online event and a new recipe for you to try.

COLLECTION The art of Valentine's Day Valentine’s Day takes its name from St Valentine, a Christian martyr of the third century who was probably either a Roman priest or a bishop from Terni. During the Middle Ages the day became associated with sending and receiving love tokens, and by the 19th century Valentine’s Day was established as a popular celebration. Explore different expressions of love from Victorian miniatures to Persian poetry in this online trail. FOLLOW THE TRAIL

ONLINE LECTURE Don't miss our talk on royal wedding dresses 19:00 GMT, 10 February Join Caroline de Guitaut, Deputy Surveyor of The Queen's Works of Art, and Justine Picardie, fashion expert and former editor of Harper's Bazaar, in conversation as they explore the history of royal wedding dresses and discuss Princess Beatrice's dress from her 2020 wedding. BOOK YOUR PLACE

ACTIVITY Secrets of sonnets Shakespeare’s sonnets contain some of the most famous expressions of love in the English language. But did you know that Shakespeare first turned to writing poetry when theatres were forced to close due to an outbreak of plague? See if you can use our current confinement as similar inspiration and compose your own sonnet in this online activity. GIVE IT A GO

EXHIBITION A masterpiece in 60 seconds We can’t wait to welcome you back to our new exhibition Masterpieces from Buckingham Palace as soon as we’re allowed. In the meantime, you can watch our staff pick out some of their favourite pieces. This week let’s take a closer look at Jan Steen’s allegorical exploration of sensual pleasures, A Woman at her Toilet, where the detail is just as beguiling as the central figure herself.   WATCH HERE

ACTIVITY Carrot cake This dark, deliciously moist cake will bring some warming spice to your teatime. During wartime rationing, carrots were used as a sweet substitute for rare dried fruits and refined sugar in baking. Thankfully we don’t have the same problem today and although the carrot cake’s modern incarnation is slightly less healthy, it is doubly tasty. GET BAKING