Roman school (possibly Ottavio Leoni), Portrait of a Girl with a Dog and Prayer Book, c. 1610.

COLUMBUS, OH.- The Columbus Museum of Art presents Great Expectations: Aristocratic Children in European Portraiture, the first major exhibition of Old Master works CMA has shown in nearly a decade. On view February 15 through June 8, 2008, the selection of 40 paintings in this exhibition is drawn exclusively from the unique and world-renowned collection of the Fundación Yannick y Ben Jakober in Mallorca, Spain. The most fascinating aspect of this collection is the glimpse it provides into the childhood of some of the most noteworthy figures in history.

Richly detailed and beautifully executed, the portraits bring to life: The Sun King Louis XIV of France, whose seventy-two year reign remains the longest of any major European monarch. Czar Paul I of Russia, the only legitimate son of Catherine the Great, who was succeeded by his son Alexander I after his late night assassination in his bedroom in the newly built St. Michael’s Castle.

Edward VI who ascended the throne at the age of nine following the death of his infamous father Henry VIII. Few portraits exist of the young monarch, largely due to his untimely death of tuberculosis at the age of 16.

Lire la suite http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=23321

Central-European school, Portrait of Twins, 18th Century.