CLEVELAND — It's grand, colorful and pristine — we're talking about the inside look you get of Renaissance England at the Cleveland Museum of Art in its "The Tudors: Art and Majesty of Renaissance England" exhibit.
"People don't always know the Tudors name," museum CMO Todd Mesek explained. "They sometimes think it's a style of architecture in Shaker Heights, but they know Henry VII, they know Elizabeth, they know 'Bloody Mary.'"
The pieces are from the 16th century, acquired from all over the world.
"Numerous collectors, over 30 collectors," Mesek said. "From international collectors, some of our own collection."
And some even on loan from the royal family.
"One of my favorite pieces that's come from King Charles is this portrait of Jane Seymour," Mesek told 3News. "What really makes it special is that we have the portrait from the king, but we also have a piece from our collection that is an early rendering."
Each piece tells a story from a time when art measured your royal status.
"So you see how the image of Henry changes over time. In this early portrait of Henry, he's young, he's kind of awkward," Mesek said, describing a piece before motioning to a later one. "Conversely, you see this giant. This is really a hero image of the exhibition, this giant portrait of Henry. He's bigger than life. He's standing on an Islamic carpet representing his authority over the world."
Mesek says this exhibit is something you can only see in Cleveland, because it's truly one of a kind.
"This is one of the most important treasures in the country," he declared. "Very few museums of this caliber are free to the public, and they should really take advantage of this rich treasure that we have in Greater Cleveland."
"The Tudors: Art and Majesty of Renaissance England" exhibit runs through May 14. For more information, click here.
Editor's Note: The following video is from a previous, unrelated report.