Page: Hever Castle
Set in 125 acres of glorious grounds, Hever Castle was once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn.
Bespoke picture lighting for a unique collection of Tudor portraits at Hever Castle
We’re delighted to have been selected to design bespoke fine art lighting for a new permanent exhibition at Hever Castle in Kent. The Long Gallery exhibition, curated by the eminent historian David Starkey, brings together a unique collection of rare portraits tracing the history of the Tudors from the Wars of the Roses to the Reformation.
Picture lighting for the Long Gallery
The Long Gallery is the most wonderful space with an amazing 16th century ceiling. The chandeliers were turned on for the photo (and it was a staggeringly bright day) but the space is typically very dark, enabling the very subtly lit pictures to really stand out.
Specialist miniature spotlights reveal fabulous detail in the smaller portraits.
The iconic painting of Anne Boleyn needs to have just enough light to bring out the detail of her dress and jewellery, whilst subtly lighting her very pale skin. The exquisite but very high contrast painting of Margaret Beaufort again needs very careful treatment. Without sufficient coverage the intricate detail of the background would disappear, but the face and starkly white widow’s head dress needs only a tiny amount of light.
“Despite being so unobtrusive the miniature fittings make an enormous difference to the character of the paintings bringing a focus and richness that was simply not evident before.”
DUNCAN LESLIE - CHIEF EXECUTIVE, HEVER CASTLE
Lighting Henry VIII
This richly painted portrait of Henry VIII looks incredibly sumptuous, with the picture light bringing out the jewels and plush red velvet and fur.
As it’s a larger painting with the subject matter filling the canvas, the picture is lit with an ArtView LED picture light to ensure a very even coverage of light across the large canvas.
Individually lighting four Tudor portraits as a collection
This set of four portraits makes a striking grouping. They are relatively tall and thin so the beam widths on the miniature picture lights were designed accordingly, to give real focus without light spillage on either side.
