1650

This room shows art from a time when artists in Britain began to work in new ways. Influenced by art from Europe, they began to paint landscapes. Still life paintings also became popular, a style which focuses on objects as well as figures. The conversation piece was another new subject, a type of group portrait. Families and groups of friends would be painted in their homes or garden. The figures interact with each other making the style more casual than traditional portraits.

During this period in British history there were dramatic changes. This was the time of the plague, the Great Fire of London and the restoration of the monarchy with Charles II, in 1660.