A host of couples

National Portrait Gallery, London

17 September 2022
— 8 January 2023

Love Stories – Art, passion & tragedy

More than 100 portraits from the National Portrait Gallery, London

This exhibition is an ode to love in all its forms. From romantic love to the obsession artists have with their muses, from love tragedies to love that triumphs against all odds. Over 100 portraits tell the stories of the world’s most beautiful and high-profile love stories. Together, they paint a moving picture of how love and desire have influenced portraiture over the centuries; from 16th-century paintings to contemporary photography. Come face-to-face with famous romantic couples like Oscar Wilde & Lord Alfred Douglas and John Lennon & Yoko Ono, and meet famous artists like Anthony van Dyck, Lee Miller, Ferdinand Bol and David Hockney.

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New collaborations

A host of couples

Masterpieces from the National Portrait Gallery, London and the Dutch National Portrait Gallery

A host of couples

Love Stories presents some of the most cherished portraits from the world-renowned collection of the National Portrait Gallery, home of the largest collection of portrait art in the world. It is rare for this collection to be exhibited on such a large scale outside the London Gallery. The exhibition features portraits of high-profile romantic couples and famous muses. From Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas, Linda and Paul McCartney, and King Charles and Princess Diana to Audrey Hepbury, Ellen Terry and Naomi Campbell. Love Stories is enriched with a selection of Dutch portraits, for example of Johan and Danny Cruijff and Connie Palmen and Ischa Meijer. This collection has been added to the exhibition in collaboration with the Dutch National Portrait Gallery.