She’s a woman whose image is as ubiquitous as currency, yet the representation of the Queen has been – and still is – subject to shifting perceptions. This exhibition explores the evolution of imagery devoted to the monarch since her coronation, and our changing patterns of reverence. With a diverse mix of formal portraits, official photographs, media images and contemporary depictions, it offers an unbiased insight into the development of her representation, and with it a glimpse at society’s changing relationship with the idea of monarchy. Underlining this shift from formality to familiarity, the exhibition combines the traditional with the informal in a way that retains a sense of mystery; a perfect, yet inevitably tense position between private individual and public persona.

Scottish National Gallery, 25 Jun – 18 Sep, times vary, £5.00 – £7.00, fpp190.
tw rating 4/5
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