The Wild, the Beautiful and the Damned

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The Wild, the Beautiful and the Damned


This exhibition is now closed

Visiting the exhibition

Vice and virtue

  • Virtue

    Find out why people went to such lengths to be seen as beautiful in the Court of Charles II.

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  • Vice

    Discover the darker side to beauty at the Restoration Court.

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Mistresses and courtiers

  • Royal mistresses

    The second prized position for a lady was to become the King's mistress. Discover some of Charles II's mistresses.

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  • Courtiers

    Competition was fierce with aristocratic men and women competing with each other to enhance their popularity.

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Paintings and art

  • Baroque art

    Find out about the Baroque art that has helped us understand what beauty meant in the 1660s.

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  • Key paintings

    Paintings were the perfect way to enhance the beauty of the sitter. Discover some of the exhibition's treasures.

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