31 March 2017 – 14 January 2018

Hunterian Art Gallery and Mount Stuart, Isle of Bute

Admission charge – entry to exhibition at both The Hunterian and Mount Stuart included in ticket price

‌This new exhibition offers a unique opportunity to see major paintings from the Bute Collection at Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute. Merging art, biography and cultural history, Art of Power uncovers the fascinating Enlightenment figure, John Stuart, Third Earl of Bute, and his collection of rarely-seen masterpieces.

The exhibition is split across two venues, The Hunterian and Mount Stuart, and the ticket price covers admission to the exhibition at both.

Art of Power: Masterpieces from the Bute Collection marks the tercentenary of Mount Stuart, an architectural jewel on the Isle of Bute which houses the Bute Collection, one of the foremost private collections of artworks and artefacts in the UK.

The Bute Collection was largely formed in the eighteenth century by John Stuart, Third Earl of Bute, the first Scottish-born Prime Minister and ‘favourite’ of George III. The Third Earl of Bute is a compelling figure with a colourful, and at times, scandalous political career, however, he was also an important and influential patron of the arts.

This major exhibition brings a selection of European and British masterpieces from the Bute Collection to the Hunterian Art Gallery, many of which have not been on public display in over a century.

Highlights include works by Jan Steen, Jan Brueghel I, Jacob van Ruisdael, Anthony van Dyck, Joshua Reynolds, Allan Ramsay, Claude Lorrain and Veronese.

A portion of these works will be displayed at The Hunterian and the remaining at Mount Stuart. Here, paintings will be accompanied by other items such as historical artefacts including costume, jewellery and letters, and works on paper including botanical illustrations and satirical engravings.

University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow G12 8QQ

Mount Stewart House, Isle of Bute PA20 9LR

www.mountstuart.com/

The Hunterian Collections