What To See From the Royal Collection
Most visitors come to Hampton Court for Henry VIII. But hidden away in the palace is one of England’s finest collections of Renaissance and Baroque paintings: the Cumberland Art Gallery
Housed in elegant rooms designed in the 1730s, the gallery displays works by Caravaggio, Canaletto, Gentileschi, Rembrandt, Holbein, and Duccio. It’s one of the best places in England to see royal treasures from the British Royal Collection.
Here’s a mini history of the gallery and a guide to the must see masterpieces.
What is the Cumberland Art Gallery?
The Cumberland Art Gallery officially opened in November 2014. It was created to give the British Royal Collection more gallery space.
Hampton Court has always displayed hundreds of paintings. But some were high on the walls or displayed as decoration in the palace interiors. The new gallery allows you to get up close and personal with the artworks.
It’s housed in four rooms that were once the apartment of William Augustus, George II’s young and favorite son. They were designed by William Kent and considered the height of Georgian fashion.
The 1730s were the last period of royal residency. But here you can pass by portraits that look familiar or peer at mythological scenes.
The paintings are all by artists who worked for, or whose works were collected by, four centuries of royal patrons.
>>> Click here to a skip the line entrance ticket to the Hampton Court.
Masterpieces of the Cumberland Art Gallery
Holbein, Henry VII
This portrait, hanging in the Wolsey Closet, is a 1542 workshop painting by Hans Holbein the Younger. It’s one of the few surviving portraits of Henry VIII created during the king’s lifetime.
Unlike the iconic Whitehall mural, this image wasn’t based on Holbein’s famous lost composition. Instead of the broad-shouldered, athletic monarch of Henry’s younger years, it presents an aging king near the end of his reign.
Henry faces the viewer head-on, carrying a staff of office. He appears heavier and more solemn, with none of the swagger that defines the Whitehall portrait. Instead, he projects quiet authority and absolute confidence.
It’s also among the last official portraits painted before Henry’s death in 1547. The symbolism is also fitting. The room once belonged to Cardinal Wolsey, but it is Henry’s commanding presence that now fills the space.
Gentileschi, Self Portrait as an Allegory of Art
Artemisia Gentileschi’s Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting is my personal favorite painting in the Cumberland. Completed shortly after the artist arrived in London, it was acquired by Charles I for the Royal Collection.
Gentileschi portrays herself not simply as an artist, but as the personification of Painting itself, an audacious statement at a time when women were rarely accepted as professional painters. Leaning energetically over her canvas, brush in hand, she embodies creativity in action rather than passive beauty.
The gold chain around her neck, with its small mask pendant, identifies her as Pittura, the traditional allegory of painting.
The painting is both a declaration of artistic confidence and a powerful assertion of professional ambition. Few artists, male or female, have produced a self-portrait that so convincingly proclaims the importance of their own craft.
Caravaggio, The Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew
Caravaggio’s The Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew is one of the Cumberland’s greatest treasures.
Long believed to be a copy, the painting languished in storage for centuries beneath layers of dirt and discolored varnish. Following its conservation in 2006, experts confirmed it was an authentic Caravaggio, one of only about 50 surviving works by the artist.
Caravaggio revolutionized Baroque painting with his dramatic realism and bold use of light and shadow.
Here, Christ appears strikingly youthful as he calls the two fishermen to become his disciples. Peter and Andrew listen intently, their thoughtful expressions lending the biblical scene an intimate, human quality.
Caravaggio, A Boy Peeling Fruit
This may be Caravaggio’s earliest surviving painting. Even at this early stage, it reveals his extraordinary gift for observing the world around him and using dramatic light and shadow to heighten the illusion of reality.
Instead of an idealized saint or mythological hero, Caravaggio painted an ordinary boy peeling fruit. The scene is so natural that you can almost smell the citrus and hear the knife scraping the rind.
The painting also marks a turning point in Italian art.
Rather than inventing an idealized figure, Caravaggio worked directly from life, giving his subject dirty fingernails, flushed skin, and an expression of quiet concentration. It was an approach that would transform European painting.
Canaletto Paintings
Canaletto was the leading painter of 18th century Venice. He specialized in vedute, highly detailed city views that became prized souvenirs for wealthy British aristocrats returning home from the Grand Tour.
His paintings combine remarkable architectural precision with sparkling light and atmosphere, creating an idealized but remarkably accurate portrait of Venice at the height of its glory. They remain some of the finest visual records of the city before the modern era.
The Royal Collection owns an exceptional group of Canalettos, several of which are displayed in the Cumberland Art Gallery. Among the highlights is Santa Maria della Carità Looking Towards the Bacino, often considered one of the finest Canalettos in the collection.
Sunlight glints across the canal while the church and surrounding buildings are rendered with extraordinary precision, demonstrating the artist’s unrivaled ability to capture Venice’s shimmering beauty.
Thomas Gainsborough, Diana and Actaeon
Gainsborough was one of the most celebrated British artists of the late 18th century, famous for his landscapes and portraits.
It’s one of the ambitious “fancy pictures” he painted late in life. The story comes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses.
As a punishment for spying on her while bathing, the goddess Diana throws water in the face of Actaeon. It transforms him into a stag who’s destined to be killed by his own dogs.
With feathery brushstrokes, Gainsborough blends the figures into a fantastical landscape to evoke the mystery and power of nature.
One thing I particularly like is the composition. Instead of focusing on Actaeon, Gainsborough draws your eye to the luminous cluster of bathing nymphs. Actaeon is almost an afterthought, tucked into the shadows, which makes you “discover” him much as Diana is about to.
Orazio Gentileschi, Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife
Orazio Gentileschi was the less talented father of Artemisia Gentileschi. But this painting is still one of the gallery’s dramatic Baroque masterpieces.
The story comes from Genesis 39. Joseph has been sold into slavery in Egypt and becomes the trusted servant of Potiphar.
Potiphar’s wife repeatedly tries to seduce him. Joseph refuses and attempts to flee. She grabs his cloak as he escapes, then falsely accuses him of attacking her, leading to his imprisonment.
This painting captures the decisive moment when Joseph pulls away while Potiphar’s wife clutches his cloak. The sumptuous red curtains and luxurious bed emphasize temptation and danger, while Joseph’s twisting pose conveys his determination to escape.
It’s also a fascinating painting historically because Orazio created it while working for Charles I as part of a decorative scheme for the Queen’s House at Greenwich. It was later displayed at Whitehall Palace before eventually coming to Hampton Court.
Rembrandt, Portrait of an Old Woman
Rembrandt van Rijn sits at the center of the Dutch Golden Age for a reason. Few artists combined technical control with such sustained interest in the inner lives of their subjects.
Portrait of an Old Woman is a timeless and moving record of old age. It may or may not depict his mother. Although the painting is intimate, Rembrandt doesn’t flatter the figure.
The hooded eyes, thinning lips and weathered features are all exaggerated and highlighted. These details are designed to evoke our pity and perhaps a sense of our own mortality.
The painting is a virtuoso exercise of imagination, and brilliantly shows Rembrandt’s talent.
Duccio, Triptych
Sienese artist Duccio di Buoninsegna was one of the premier painters of the International Gothic school. He’s widely considered a key figure who bridged the late Medieval style and the early Renaissance.
He helped to transition Italian painting from static, Byzantine forms toward humanism and realism.
In this 14th century depiction of the death of Christ, the artist shows the emotions of Christ’s mother, the Virgin Mary, so that the viewer can identify with her story.
This altarpiece was for private use. Its hinged sides originally closed like doors to protect the painting. When opened for prayer by candlelight, the gold leaf glowed and shimmered, evoking the riches of heaven.
Van Dyck, Charles I on Horseback
Van Dyck was Charles I’s principal court painter.
He transformed the image of the Stuart monarchy. His portraits of the rather reserved Charles I make the king look elegant, dignified, and every inch the divine king.
This is van Dyck’s “modello,” a predatory drawing created before the final work of art. It was presented to the King for his approval for the life-size painting now in the National Gallery.
It’s an evocative image of kingship, a grand statement of monarchical power, which van Dyck painted just a decade before the King’s execution.
Van Dyck, Portrait of Mary, Princess Royal and later Princess of Orange
Court artists worked directly for the royal family, and Van Dyck’s portrait of the six year old Princess Mary is as much a statement of dynastic power as a likeness.
Just look at the expensive lace, pearls, shimmering satin, and gold damask curtain, all symbols of royal wealth and prestige. Yet despite the formal setting, Van Dyck captures something unmistakably childlike.
With her hands clasped nervously in front of her silver apron, Mary seems to be trying very hard to strike the dignified pose expected of a princess.
Just a few years later, she would marry William II of Orange and become the mother of William III, the future King of England.
Frans Pourbus, Isabella Clara Eugenia with Her Daughter Anna Mauritia
This glittering portrait depicts Isabella Clara Eugenia, daughter of Philip II of Spain and one of Europe’s most influential rulers.
The dress is spectacular. It’s richly embroidered in gold, pearls, and an elaborate lace ruff. She rests her hand on the head of her young daughter, emphasizing both maternal affection and the continuation of the Habsburg dynasty.
One thing I love about it is the contrast between the two figures. The little girl looks almost like a child you’d meet today, clutching a flower and peeking shyly at the viewer.
Isabella, meanwhile, is transformed by the rigid costume into an almost monumental symbol of monarchy. That contrast makes the portrait feel surprisingly human despite all its ceremonial grandeur.
Pieter de Hooch, A Musical Party
This de Hooch painting is a classic Dutch Golden Age genre scene. But it’s more than a pleasant domestic interior.
Music-making was often associated with courtship and harmony in 17th century Dutch art. The gathering may represent flirtation as much as entertainment.
A woman plays the lute while a violinist accompanies her, creating a scene that celebrates music, domestic life, and refined company.
De Hooch’s true genius, however, lies in his use of light and perspective. The open doorway draws the viewer into the sunlit world beyond, giving the intimate interior an extraordinary sense of depth.
If you like Vermeer, you’ll like this painting.
Practical Information
Address: Molesey, East Molesey KT8 9AU, UK
Getting there: Trains run from Waterloo Station in London every 30 minutes. The train ride takes approximately 40 minutes.
Opening Hours: Summer 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Winter 10:00 am to 4:30 pm
Tickets: Ticket prices, free entry with London Pass. The ticket includes access to all public areas of the palace, the gardens, courtyards, the Maze, and the Magic Garden.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to the Cumberland Art Gallery at Hampton Court Palace. You may find these other London travel guides useful:
- 3 Days in London Itinerary
- 5 Days in London Itinerary
- Tourist Traps To Avoid in London
- Hidden Gems in London
- Best Museums in London
- Best day trips from London
- History of Medieval and Tudor England
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