Desmond Shawe-Taylor (1) (1955–)

Well illustrated as you would expect from an exhibition catalogue (I attended at the Royal Academy in 2018), with numerous essays which help understand Charles I’s interest in collecting and commissioning art. I especially enjoyed Gregory Martin’s essay on Rubens, as it introduced a whole side of his life about which I had previously been unaware (or had forgotten).

I recently read Palaces of Revolution by Simon Thurley and enjoyed being able to match up the art to royal buildings.

lovely plates of paintings from major exhibition with detailed explanations of history of the artists and of the works

Catalog of a collection I saw at the Buckingham Palace Museum in 2009. I was particular;y struck by the evidence that the "Massacre of the Innocents" had actually been censored (babies' bodies painted out etc.) by a Catholic owner