This program is the second part of the Fabergé Rediscovered Lecture Series.

The British Royal Family and the Russian imperial family shared a long and often complex history.  From enemies to allies, diplomatic impasse to dynastic marriage this lecture explores their shared patronage from grand state gifts to intimate personal mementos.  Paintings, sculpture, decorative arts and photographs from the Royal Collection illustrate 300 years of history, culminating in their mutual admiration for Fabergé.  From the competitive commissions and purchases of Empress Marie Fedorovna and her sister Queen Alexandra to the post-revolutionary purchases of subsequent generations of the Royal Family, this talk sets the Royal Collection of Fabergé in the broader context of the history of the Russian collections in British royal ownership.

Event Timeline

5:30-6:30 p.m.: Mansion and Fabergé Rediscovered open for self-guided touring
6-6:30 p.m.: Members-only wine and cheese reception. Join today!
6:30-7:30 p.m.: Lecture
7:30 p.m.: Book signing. The museum shop will have copies of publications by Caroline de Guitaut available for purchase. Her upcoming book, Russia: Art, Royalty and the Romanovs, will be available for pre-order.

About the Speaker

Caroline de Guitaut is Senior Curator of Decorative Arts at Royal Collection Trust, caring for a collection of approximately 500,000 works of art.  She is a leading authority on the work of Carl Fabergé and author of numerous publications on the subject including Fabergé in the Royal Collection (2003), Fabergé's Animals: A Royal Farm in Miniature (2008) and Royal Fabergé (2011).  Caroline has curated several major exhibitions of Fabergé from the Royal Collection and lectured and published internationally.  She is leading curator of the forthcoming exhibition Russia: Royalty and the Romanovs, which will be held at The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace from November 9, 2018– April 29, 2019.  Her major publication, a catalogue raisonné of Fabergé in the Collection of Her Majesty The Queen, is due for publication in 2020.

About the Fabergé Rediscovered Lecture Series

Designed to delight and surprise, the treasures created by the firm of Carl Fabergé have inspired admiration and intrigue for over a century, both for their remarkable craftsmanship and the fascinating histories that surround them. Now, a special exhibition at Hillwood unveils new discoveries relating to its own collection of Fabergé imperial Easter eggs and other famed works.  Whether you are a Fabergé aficionado or novice, this lecture series will offer interest and insight into the storied firm.

Wednesday, October 3: The Firm of Fabergé: Business, Clients, and Collectors, by Wilfried Zeisler

Wednesday, October 10: Russia: Royalty and the Romanovs, by Caroline de Guitaut

Tuesday, October 16: Fabergé in the Age of Progress, by Mikhail Ovchinnikov

Tuesday, October 23: Fabergé in London, by Kieran McCarthy

Tuesday, October 30: Jewels of the Romanovs: The Collections of Maria, Alexandra, Olga and Xenia, by Stefano Papi