See Portrait of the Artist: An exhibition from the Royal Collection at the Vancouver Art Gallery – thanks to the Queen

Vancouverities love monumental occasions.

And there’s an upcoming exhibition at Vancouver Art Gallery that’s something quite spectacular to celebrate.

On Saturday, October 28 Portrait of the Artist: An Exhibition from the Royal Collection is opening. This is the first ever exhibition to focus on images of artists (or portraits of artists) from the Royal Collection – outside of the United Kingdom.

Helping to mark Canada’s 150th birthday, it’s coming exclusively to the Vancouver Art Gallery because Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is cool with it.

Johann Michael, Wittmer Raphael’s First Sketch of the ‘Madonna della Sedia’, 1853/Vancouver Art Gallery

The acclaimed exhibition is from one of the most important art collections in the world, which first debuted at The Queen’s Gallery in Buckingham Palace in 2016. Now it’s coming to Vancouver, and running through to February 4, 2018.

Portrait of the Artist: An Exhibition from the Royal Collection will give you a new appreciation for art through the centuries. It showcases self-portraits by world-renowned artists including Rembrandt, Peter Paul Rubens, Artemisia Gentileschi, Lucien Freud and David Hockney, as well as images of artists by their friends, relatives and pupils, including the most reliable surviving likeness of Leonardo da Vinci by his student, Francesco Melzi.

Yes, you will be awestruck at how incredibly detailed these artworks are.

Artemisia Gentileschi, self-portrait as the Allegory of Painting (La Pittura), c. 1638–39/Vancouver Art Gallery

“Portrait of the Artist presents a remarkable group of paintings, drawings, prints, photographs and works of art spanning six centuries from the Royal Collection. These works highlight both the enormous richness of the Royal Collection and the complex and deep relationship that the British monarchy has had with artists,” says Kathleen S. Bartels, director of the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Visit the Gallery from October 28 to February 4 to see these rare artworks for yourself. Did we mention that they’ll look epic on your Instagram feed? Oh, and you might even find your 16th century doppelgänger!

For more information, visit Vancouver Art Gallery on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Exhibition from the Royal Collection

When: October 28, 2017 to February 4, 2017
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery – 750 Hornby Street
Price: Included in Vancouver Art Gallery admission price