This Saturday, 21st May, a new blockbuster exhibition, The Tudors: Passion, Power and Politics, opens at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. In partnership with the National Portrait Gallery which has lent almost 70 artworks, the exhibition presents the five Tudor monarchs, Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I, and explores the dynasty’s reign over England from 1485 to 1603. This was one of the most dramatic periods in British history, encompassing conflict with Scotland, France and Spain, conquest and colonisation in Ireland and America, piracy and trade, the Reformation, and an artistic and literary renaissance.
The Tudors: Passion, Power and Politics exhibition features around 100 objects and artworks in total, and it is the first time that so many of the National Portrait Gallery’s renowned Tudor portraits have been lent for exhibition. Apart from the five monarchs, other iconic figures from the period featured include Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, Mary Queen of Scots and William Shakespeare. Some historically underrepresented aspects of the period will also be explored, including Black Tudor history and LGBTQ+ history.
Other highlights include a portrait of Jane Seymour, after Hans Holbein the Younger, from around 1537, which is being exhibited outside of London for the first time, the Westminster Tournament Roll, produced in 1511 to celebrate the birth of Henry VIII’s son with Catherine of Aragon, the Bacton Altar Cloth, which is believed to be the only surviving example of Elizabeth I’s clothing, and the Armada Maps, drawings illustrating the dramatic defeat of Spain’s so-called ‘Invincible Armada’ off the south coast of England in 1588.
Sandra Penketh, Executive Director of Galleries and Collections Management at National Museums Liverpool, commented: “This exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery provides an opportunity to see some of the most iconic Tudor portraits in the world, here in Liverpool. It’s difficult to overemphasise what a rare and special moment this will be, and we can’t wait to share it with our visitors”.
Tickets for The Tudors: Passion, Power and Politics are available to book online, priced at £13 for adults, £12 for concessions, £6 for children aged 6-17 and free for younger children. You can find out more about the much-anticipated The Tudors: Passion, Power and Politics exhibition and book tickets below: