The Duchess arrived amid a flurry of snow.
'Victorian Giants: The Birth of Art Photography' brings together for the first time portraits by Oscar Rejlander, Lewis Carroll, Julia Margaret Cameron and Lady Clementina Hawarden. These four artists would come to embody the very best in photography of the era, experimenting with new approaches to picture making, and shaping attitudes to the medium that have informed artistic practice ever since.
The exhibition explores the birth of art photography in England and provides a fresh perspective on one of photography's formative periods.
Kate wrote a foreword to the exhibition catalogue in which she discussed her interest in 19th century photography, the subject of her undergraduate thesis while an art history student at the University of St Andrews. "This period of history has long interested me. Photographs of children in particular, which feature predominately within the exhibition are of real interest to me. The photographs allow us to reflect on the importance of preserving and appreciating childhood while it lasts. Children held a special place in the Victorian imagination and were celebrated for their seemingly boundless potential. The notion still rings true for us today and it underpins much of my official work and the charities I have chosen to support, and, indeed, my role as a mother of a young family."
The Duchess added: "Queen Victoria and Prince Albert became enthusiastic patrons of the new form of picture-making following its invention in 1839. Rejlander undertook commissions for the Royal family, and this exhibition contains photography by him borrowed from the Royal Collection at Windsor." The foreword is by far the most personal one Kate has written, drawing on her interests, education and the exhibition's connections to the Royal family.
The Duchess put her history of art degree to good use, helping to curate the exhibition at the gallery.
Kate selected several Victorian photographs and wrote captions which are displayed with the images for a special 'Patron's Trail'.
A video from Hannah Furness.
The Duchess of Cambridge visits @NPGLondon to see the Victorian Giants photography exhibition. An art history graduate, she has curated a special "Patron's Trail" and written labels for her favourite images pic.twitter.com/DGUAbmM3qo— Hannah Furness (@Hannah_Furness) February 28, 2018
'The show is a daring choice for the Duchess, based on the “radical attitudes” of the four artists and detailing how they “formed a bridge between the art of the past and the art of the future”. Many of the photographs on display are rarely seen for conservation reasons, and others loaned from galleries around the world.
Dr Nicholas Cullinan, director of NPG, said: "We are delighted that our patron, the Duchess of Cambridge, has supported this exhibition in such a direct and personal manner, given her longstanding interest in this material. As always, it is privilege to collaborate with her.”
Kate enjoyed a tour of the exhibition and then met lenders and supporters in the Gallery's Ondaatje Wing Main Hall.
In one caption Kate wrote a child's natural curiosity is "so hard to capture in posed photographs".
It's interesting the four artists haven't been exhibited together before now. Rejlander was a Swedish émigré with a mysterious past; Cameron was a middle-aged expatriate from colonial Ceylon (now Sri Lanka); Carroll was an Oxford academic and writer of fantasy literature; and Lady Clementina was a member of the landed gentry, the child of a Scottish naval hero and a Spanish beauty, 26 years younger. All three latter artists briefly studied under Rejlander and maintained lasting associations, exchanging ideas about portraiture and narrative. Influenced by historical painting and frequently associated with the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood, they formed a bridge between the art of the past and the art of the future, standing as true giants in Victorian photography. Their radical attitudes towards photography have informed artistic practice ever since.
Swedish-born 'Father of Photoshop' Oscar Rejlander's pieces include the finest surviving print of his famous picture 'Two Ways of Life', an example of his pioneering technique of combining several negatives to create a single final image. Constructed from over thirty separate negatives, 'Two Ways of Life' was so large that it had to be printed on two sheets of paper joined together.
Lady Clementina Hawarden was a pioneering portrait photographer of the 1860s. Hawarden first began to experiment with photography in 1857, taking stereoscopic landscape photographs before moving to large-format, stand-alone portraits of her daughters.
Lewis Carroll’s photographs of Alice Liddell, his muse and inspiration for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, are among the most beloved photographs of the National Portrait Gallery’s Collection. Less well known are the photographs made of Alice in her years later, showing her as an adult. The exhibition brings together these works for the first time. Kate wrote her honours dissertation on Carroll's photography, 'Angels from Heaven: Lewis Carroll’s Photographic Interpretation of Childhood'.
Julia Margaret Cameron is best known for her powerful portraits of great Victorians such as Darwin, Herschel, Watts and Tennyson.
The exhibition runs from tomorrow until 20 May.
The accompanying catalogue can be purchased on the NPG website.
#VictorianGiants opens tomorrow. The exhibition features some of the most breath-taking images in photographic history and highlights how four pioneering artists helped establish photography as art. Book your tickets now: https://t.co/nscKLhR3aM pic.twitter.com/bsEsqs3ZJG— Portrait Gallery (@NPGLondon) February 28, 2018
Below, the Duchess leaving. She was accompanied by her assistant private secretary Laura Baker once again tonight.
The Duchess selected the Orla Kiely Margaret Viscose Print Smock Bib Dress in Black for the event (with thanks to What Kate Wore). The £490 dress is described as a "slim fit, long sleeved dress with smocked front panel feature, velvet ribbon collar, invisible zip back opening, suits all shapes". The dress is sold at the designer's Covent Garden and King's Road shops; the latter has been a favourite shopping haunt of Kate's for years. It's available online at Very Exclusive.
Kate carried her Jimmy Choo Celeste clutch.
The Duchess wore her Gianvito Rossi praline pumps.
Kate accessorised with her bespoke pink tourmaline and green amethyst Kiki McDonough earrings. They are very similar to the pair shown below.
If you're just joining us, you can view today's earlier post covering the Royal Foundation Forum here.
What do you think of today's events?
