The office of the Surveyor of the King's/Queen's Pictures, in the
Royal Collection
The Royal Collection of the British royal family is the largest private art collection in the world.
Spread among 13 occupied and historic List of British royal residences, royal residences in the United Kingdom, the collection is owned by King ...
Department of the
Royal Household of the
Sovereign of the United Kingdom
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers regulated by the British cons ...
, is responsible for the care and maintenance of the royal collection of pictures owned by the
Sovereign
''Sovereign'' is a title that can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to ...
in an official capacity – as distinct from those owned privately and displayed at
Sandringham House
Sandringham House is a country house in the parish of Sandringham, Norfolk, England. It is one of the royal residences of Charles III, whose grandfather, George VI, and great-grandfather, George V, both died there. The house stands in a est ...
and
Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle () is a large estate house in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and a residence of the British royal family. It is near the village of Crathie, west of Ballater and west of Aberdeen.
The estate and its original castle were bought ...
and elsewhere. The office has only been full-time since 1972. It now operates in a professional capacity with a staff of a dozen people.
Although the office dates from 1625, during the reign of
Charles I (a noted art connoisseur), there has always been someone responsible for pictures in the
Royal Household. Notable recent office-holders have included Sir
Lionel Cust (1901–1927), Sir
Kenneth Clark
Kenneth Mackenzie Clark, Baron Clark (13 July 1903 – 21 May 1983) was a British art historian, museum director and broadcaster. His expertise covered a wide range of artists and periods, but he is particularly associated with Italian Renaissa ...
(1934–1944), Professor
Anthony Blunt
Anthony Frederick Blunt (26 September 1907 – 26 March 1983), (formerly styled Sir Anthony Blunt from 1956 until November 1979), was a leading British art historian and a Soviet spy.
Blunt was a professor of art history at the University ...
(1945–1972), one of the infamous
Cambridge Five Soviet spies, and Sir
Oliver Millar (1972–1988). The current surveyor is Anna Reynolds, MVO, who was appointed in December 2023. She is the first woman to hold the position.
The previous surveyor was
Desmond Shawe-Taylor, who held the post from 2005 to 2020.
The post of Surveyor of the King's Pictures was in abeyance until 3 December 2023.
List of Surveyors of the King's/Queen's Pictures
*
Abraham van der Doort 1625–1640
*
George Geldorp 1660–
*
Thomas Chiffinch 1660–1666
*
William Chiffinch 1666–1688
*
Gerrit van Uylenburgh 1676–1679
*
Parry Walton 1679–1690 (officially to 1701)
*
Henry Norris 1682–
*
Frederick Sonnius 1690–1701
*
Peter Walton c.1690–1745 (officially from 1701)
*
Stephen Slaughter 1745–1765
*
George Knapton 1765–1778
*
Richard Dalton 1778–1791
*
Benjamin West
Benjamin West (October 10, 1738 – March 11, 1820) was a British-American artist who painted famous historical scenes such as ''The Death of Nelson (West painting), The Death of Nelson'', ''The Death of General Wolfe'', the ''Treaty of Paris ( ...
1791–1820
*
William Seguier 1820–1843
*Sir
Augustus Wall Callcott 1843–1844
*
Thomas Uwins 1844–1856
*
Richard Redgrave 1856–1880
*Sir
John Charles Robinson 1880–1901
*Sir
Lionel Cust 1901–1927
*
C. H. Collins Baker 1928–1934
*Sir
Kenneth Clark
Kenneth Mackenzie Clark, Baron Clark (13 July 1903 – 21 May 1983) was a British art historian, museum director and broadcaster. His expertise covered a wide range of artists and periods, but he is particularly associated with Italian Renaissa ...
1934–1944
*
Anthony Blunt
Anthony Frederick Blunt (26 September 1907 – 26 March 1983), (formerly styled Sir Anthony Blunt from 1956 until November 1979), was a leading British art historian and a Soviet spy.
Blunt was a professor of art history at the University ...
1945–1973 – formerly Sir Anthony Blunt , until he was stripped of his titles after being exposed as a former Soviet spy.
*Sir
Oliver Millar 1972–1988
*
Christopher Lloyd, 1988–2005
*
Desmond Shawe-Taylor 2005–2020
*Anna Reynolds 2023–
References
Further reading
*
External links
About the Royal Collection– official website
{{British Monarchy Household