Stanhope Forbes’ England opens at Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum.
Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum is bringing together for the first time a selection of works by Stanhope Forbes for Stanhope Forbes’ England, an exhibition exploring both the beautiful coastal scenes of Newlyn and the surrounding areas that Forbes’ is best known for, as well as his works depicting town and country life. The exhibition runs from 21 March to 6 June 2015.
Born in Dublin in 1857, Stanhope Forbes studied in both London and Paris, but it was the villages and towns of England that captured his imagination. Forbes hunted out traditional life to record in paint, as well as documenting the growing rail network that linked these previously remote communities. Although his work is often described as social realism, this exhibition will discuss how Forbes’ works were not necessarily documentary recreations of the world around him, but a document of Forbes’ own ideals about the British landscape and its people in a time of great social and technological change.
Stanhope Forbes’ England will feature Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum’s visitor favourite Chadding on Mounts Bay which was first exhibited in Worcester in 1902 as part of a group exhibition after which the curators of the day made the astute decision to purchase the painting directly from Forbes. The painting now spends much of its time touring in international exhibitions and will make a welcome return for this exhibition.
Philippa Tinsley, Senior Curator Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum said: “Chadding on Mount’s Bay is considered Stanhope Forbes’ greatest work and is a jewel in Worcester’s collection. This exhibition brings together a fascinating selection of other landscapes by Stanhope Forbes from public and private collections, to tell the story of this important artist.”
Stanhope Forbes’ England is an opportunity to see paintings from museums, art galleries and private collections from across England. Running alongside the exhibition until 31 October, visitors can also enjoy An Englishman Abroad which examines the changing focus of travellers from Worcestershire from pilgrimages made by the devout to the grand tours enjoyed by the upper classes.
Both exhibitions are free and open Monday–Saturday 10.30am–4.30pm. For more information contact the Art Gallery and Museum on 01905 25371 or visit www.museumsworcestershire.org.uk or follow @worcestermuseum