Highlights from the print collection
An introduction to the print collection of the Royal Collection
Minerva
1785RCIN 816795
The children (especially the daughters) of George III and Queen Charlotte were taught a range of artistic techniques by professional tutors, including etching by Biagio Rebecca and Peltro William Tomkins. Copying from the old masters was an established teaching method for professional and amateur alike, and the holdings of the Royal Collection were occasionally used for inspiration. Here, the soft grey chalk of a Michelangelesque drawing by Clovio in George III's collection has been translated into the linear manner of an etching.