Art: Last Chance to see Sir Peter Blake Miniatures at The Portland Collection, Welbeck Notts

 

An opportunity to see a display of extraordinary miniatures selected by pop art pioneer Sir Peter Blake, as part of The Portland Collection on the historic Welbeck estate, is nearing a close as works from the light sensitive collection return to storage.

 

The current display from the collection shows the historic portraits in a most unusual way with many different faces from different periods forming a ‘magical crowd’ reminiscent of Sir Peter Blake’s famous album cover for The Beatles’ Sgt Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band. The last chance to see the display will be Sunday 18th September.

 

In place of Sir Peter Blake’s selection a new display of miniatures selected by Art Historian Karen Hearn, curatorial advisor to The Portland Collection, honorary professor at UCL and previous Curator of 16th & 17th Century British Art at the Tate Galleries, will be on show from Saturday 24th September.

 

Sir Peter Blake said: “I am delighted to work with the amazing Portland Collection of miniatures. Many of them are very important and are usually shown in small numbers in historically relevant displays.”

 

Lisa Gee, Director at The Harley Gallery, said: “Many of the miniatures are painted with watercolour paint which is light sensitive. We make sure that they are protected from light for set periods throughout the year. As a result we are working with a different curator every six months giving different perspectives on the same collection.  Sir Peter’s choice was so personal to him and shows how we all view art through our own particular experiences. Karen is taking a more scholarly approach which offers another window onto this amazing collection.”

 

The Portland Miniatures are displayed in a specialist viewing area by Exhibition Designer John Ronayne, which uses sophisticated PIR technology to manage light levels in order to protect the works for generations to come.

 

The Portland Collection, assembled over 400 years by the Dukes of Portland and their families, has one of the largest and most significant privately owned collections of miniatures in the country. The current display of over 80 delicate miniatures have been on show since the gallery’s opening in March and once tucked away in storage many will not reappear for years to come.

 

For more information, visit: www.harleygallery.co.uk.