For centuries, artists sought out royal patrons to advance their careers. European monarchs were eager to fill their courts with artists to demonstrate their own acumen and prestige. These include Hans Holbein and Henry VIII, Leonardo da Vinci and François I, Anthony van Dyck and Charles I, Peter Paul Rubens and Marie de Medici, and Élisabeth Vigée-LeBrun and Marie Antoinette. We will look at Catherine the Great, who founded the Hermitage and Queen Elizabeth II, who was appreciated as a "curator monarch" for her part in opening the British Royal Collection to the public. King Charles III, an amateur watercolourist, continues to publicize the great works in the Royal Collection. You'll learn more about the collaboration and tension between royalty and artists that produced some of Europe's most famous works of art and established collections now featured in great museums around the world. | 
