More than anything Charles I desired paintings by the Venetian master Titian. Titian’s style – free and poetic but not without a certain gravity – captivated the young Charles on his visit to the Spanish court in 1623. So important was the artist that the king asked for a special list to be drawn up by the keeper of the royal collection, Abraham van der Doort, documenting all works by Titian in his ownership. Here is a selection from that list.
By the time van der Doort was drawing up his inventory in c.1639, Charles had collected enough works to devote whole rooms entirely to a celebration of Titian’s painterly genius. Charles's passion can be clearly seen in our recreation of the First Privy Lodging Room, where 11 works by Titian hang together.
