This world-famous portrait of Richard III will go on display at the Yorkshire Museum as part of a new display when it reopens on 9 July.
The late 16th century painting, which has become synonymous with the depiction of the controversial king, is on loan from the National Portrait Gallery, London.
It will be displayed alongside the museum’s outstanding collections associated with the King such as the magnificent Middleham Jewel, The Ryther Hoard and the Stillingfleet Boar Badge worn by one of his supporters.
The exhibition will run from 9 July to 31 October.
The loan to the Yorkshire Museum is part of the National Portrait Gallery’s nationwide Coming Home project, that will see some of its most iconic works travel to the place they are most closely associated with.
The exhibition at the Yorkshire Museum has been supported by the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund, with a grant of £17,625.
The programme, established in 2017, is designed to fund and empower regional and smaller local authority museums to borrow major works of art from national collections.
Rare opportunity
Lucy Creighton, curator of archaeology, said: “King Richard III was the last king of the House of York and he remains a well-loved figure in the city.
“It is fantastic to be working with the National Portrait Gallery on this project as it provides a rare opportunity to showcase this iconic piece of fine art alongside the Yorkshire Museum’s collections which includes one of the finest group of objects associated with Richard III in the country.
“We look forward to the arrival of the portrait in the summer and to be able to tell the story of Richard III and his connection to York in this new display.”
The exhibition will mark the reopening of the Yorkshire Museum for the first time since March 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Richard III display had been originally planned to open in summer 2020.
A programme of events will run alongside the arrival of the loan, with more details to follow.