The Lost Prince

The NPG has a new exhibition and it is well worth a look!

The Lost Prince the Life and Death of Henry Stuart explores the impact that the death of the handsome, model prince Henry had on the British nation. Henry was the elder brother of Charles I. He died in 1612 leaving his brother to inherit the thrones of England and Scotland. Would the English Civil War still have happened if Henry had lived?

Featuring drawings by Hans Holbein the younger, paintings by Paul Van Somer, Rubens and Robert Peake and two suits of armour with a wooden armature not seen for four hundred years, it is a fascinating insight into the art and culture of the early Jacobean era. I particularly love the miniature portraits of the prince by Isaac Oliver (keep an eye out for Sir Walter Raleigh in one of the final rooms too, which inspires my sketches in silver jewellery!) I had a go at making a drawing after one of Isaac Oliver's pictures, which you can see below. I have some ideas for including this sketch in some forthcoming jewellery designs...