Lord Byron’s Albanian gear portrait featured in London

LONDON, Dec. 15 – A smoldering Lord Byron, dressed in ostentatious Albanian gear, looms large in a new show curated by the historian Simon Schama, who can’t hide his enthusiasm for it. “It is utterly wonderful,” the curator tells The Guardian. “The ultimate undergraduate gap year vanity.”
The 1814 Byron portrait by Thomas Phillips normally hangs in the residence of the UK Ambassador to Greece in Athens but has been requisitioned for the latest display of works from the Government Art Collection.
Schama is the third guest curator let loose on a collection of almost 14,000 works of art, personally choosing which works have gone on display to the public at the Whitechapel Gallery in London.
Historian and broadcaster Simon Schama has selected historical and contemporary artworks from the Government Art Collection that explore ideas of travel from the 16th century to the present day, says the gallery on its website.
Britain has always been an island nation of explorers, from aristocrats embarking on the Grand Tour to romantic exiles like Lord Byron. In this display, Schama explores the part of British culture that longs to go abroad, and the way artists have brought a distinctly British view to their depictions of people and places overseas.
Schama has called his exhibition Travelling Light, and explores the idea of Britain as a nation of explorers. Hence his choice of the Byron portrait as well as works such as Edward Lear’s View of Beirut and Vanessa Bell’s portrait of a woman as Byzantine Lady.
The Government Art Collection has been buying art works for the nation for 113 years, although spending cuts mean it has not been doing so for two years – the first time it has stopped collecting since the second world war. The next and final GAC show at the Whitechapel will be chosen by staff at 10 Downing Street.
The Travelling Light exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery, London will remain open until 26 February.