This exhibition which is originally organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London focuses on the luxurious treasures enjoyed by the brilliant monarchs in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. These works include splendorous objects connected to the lives of monarchs and members of the aristocracy, who led European history in those periods. They provided splendid decoration for their attire, food, and dwellings, while at the same time representing the patrons’ identity in a powerful form of image-making.

For this exhibition features 101 selected objects carefully selected for display from the Victoria and Albert Museum. These were items commissioned or used by members of the powerful and wealthy classes in the Europe of the day, a number of them crafted by noted artisans. The 17th and 18th century objects in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection span a wide range of genres, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, glass, metals, furniture , and textiles, as well as garments and accessories, prints, and drawings. Their origins span all corners of the European continent, from Sweden in the north to Spain in the south and from Portugal in the west to Russia in the east. This period marked a time when the countries of Europe were expanding their trade efforts to the global scale and building colonies overseas, expensive and rare materials imported from around the world were frequently used in the making of the items on display in this exhibition.

The exhibition presents a series of themes for the important aspects of courtly life in Europe. It begins with a section on power and patronage in Europe between 1600 and 1800. The following sections focus on four different aspects of courtly life: the importance of war, the role of religion, the glorious arts of the domestic interior, and the magnificence of personal adornment.

As there have been so few opportunities over the years to present the decorative art of the Baroque and Rococo period in depth or to explore the consumers of artwork in detail, this exhibition should provide a fascinating occasion for visitors to broaden the scope of their understanding of this era's art.

Exhibits