Major Pre-Raphaelite Exhibition to open at the Russell Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, February 21st 2020
UNITED KINGDOM / AGILITYPR.NEWS / January 23, 2020 / Major works of art from national collections to join in a celebration of the Pre-Raphaelite Legacy on the South Coast.
Artworks from The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum and Southampton City Art Gallery are to be joined by masterpieces from national collections, including Tate Britain, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Royal Academy, which loaned Frank Cadogan Cowper’s Vanity (1907) and A Souvenir of Velazquez by Sir John Everett Millais, (1868).
The exhibition, entitled Beyond the Brotherhood: The Pre-Raphaelite Legacy, is supported by the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund, and opens at Bournemouth’s Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum on 21 February until 21 June 2020, following a four-month run in Southampton.
This major exhibition will highlight the importance of the Pre-Raphaelite movement and its influence on contemporary art and culture, as seen in the fantastical imagery of Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. As part of a full programme of events related to this exciting exhibition, renowned Academy Award winning illustrator Alan Lee, best known for his work as lead artist on Lord of Rings, will be in conversation with BBC Radio Solent’s Steve Harris on the opening evening of the exhibition, 21 February. http://russellcotes.com/event/alan-lee/
Tracing the Pre-Raphaelite thread from its inception, this exhibition brings together stunning imagery from across the decades, following the movement’s influence on artistic developments including Realism, Aestheticism, Symbolism and Art Nouveau. It will illustrate how Pre-Raphaelitism lives on in contemporary fantasy, book illustration and film, and how it inspires artists today.
The loans have been realised through the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund; created by the Garfield Weston Foundation and Art Fund. The Weston Loan Programme is the first ever UK-Wide funding scheme to enable smaller and local authority museums to borrow works of art and artefacts from national collections.
Sophia Mason, Trustee of the Garfield Weston Foundation, said: “We are delighted that these incredibly beautiful works of art are coming to the South Coast as part of our loan programme. When we started the Weston Loan Programme we hoped it would help bring national treasures to many different communities across the UK and we are thrilled that the people of Southampton and Bournemouth will get to enjoy these masterpieces. We hope they will inspire the next generation of artists.”
Stephen Deuchar, Director of Art Fund, added: “The Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund is about encouraging museums to share their collections with each other and bringing new benefit and opportunity to their visitors. We’re proud to be working with the Garfield Weston Foundation to realise this important national programme.”
Anne Anderson, Curator of Beyond the Brotherhood, explains “There have been many Pre-Raphaelite exhibitions but most do not extend beyond the First World War, often seen as a natural end to the movement. This exhibition demonstrates that Pre-Raphaelitism persisted by influencing later artists, providing an outlet for reaction against austerity in the 1960s, and expressing the innate artistic attraction to Romanticism. Today it manifests itself in Fantasy artwork and themes on both the big and small screen.”
Sarah Newman, Museum Manager of the Russell Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, explained that "Thanks to funding from the Weston Loan Programme with the Art Fund, we will be able to bring to the region some beautiful and compelling paintings by John Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Frank Cadogan Cowper and Edward Gregory amongst others. Together with the Pre-Raphaelite highlights from the collections of Southampton City Art Gallery and the Russell-Cotes, it will create a stunning exhibition of stand-out names and hidden surprises which I think will captivate audiences from across the region and beyond.”
Cllr Mark Howell , Deputy leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Culture, comments: “The Russell Cotes Art Gallery and Museum is extraordinary and unique and a very important part of the local cultural landscape. This funding from the Weston Loan Programme and the Art Fund like previous invaluable grants, will enable vital investment into the fabric, programming and sustainability of the Russell Cotes while raising its profile through introducing works of an outstanding quality and modern relevance to the region.”
Image Credits
A - Romeo and Juliet, Frank Bernard Dicksee, (1884) © Southampton City Gallery
B - Venus Verticordia, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, (1864-68) ©Russell Cotes Art Gallery & Museum
C – Vanity , Frank Cadogan Cowper, (1907) © Royal Academy
D - Afterglow in Egypt by William Holden Hunt (1854) ©Southampton City Gallery
E - River Run Drawbridge Tower, Kieran Bradshaw © Kieran Bradshaw
F - Helm’s Deep, Alan Lee © Alan lee
For press or information on Beyond the Brotherhood contact or nick.collins@bcpcouncil.gov.uk
Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum
East Cliff Promenade, Bournemouth BH1 3AA
REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 306288
About Us
Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum
Bournemouth’s Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum is one of the most fascinating historic houses in England. Situated on the East Cliff with fantastic views of the coastline, the museum opens from 10am to 5pm, Tuesday-Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays.
Comprising an art gallery, museum and historic house, a licensed café and a shop, it features collections of high Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite Art of international-standing including Albert Moore’s Midsummer and Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s Venus Verticordia.
Built by Merton Russell-Cotes as an extravagant birthday gift for his wife, Annie, it celebrates the couple’s passion for art and travel, world cultures and natural history. Situated on Bournemouth’s stunning cliff-top over-looking the sea, this exotic seaside villa has been sealed in time creating a unique atmosphere in a most dramatic setting.
Garfield Weston Foundation
Established over 60 years ago in 1958, the Garfield Weston Foundation is a family-founded, grant-making charity which supports causes across the UK with grants around £70million annually. It has donated over £1billion to charities since it was established.
One of the most respected charitable institutions in the UK, the Weston Family Trustees are descendants of the founder and they take a highly active and hands-on approach. The Foundation’s funding comes from an endowment of shares in the family business which includes Twinings, Primark, Kingsmill (all part of Associated British Foods Plc) and Fortnum & Mason, amongst others – a successful model that still endures today; as the businesses have grown so too have the charitable donations.
From small community organisations to large national institutions, the Foundation supports a broad range of charities and activities that make a positive impact in the communities in which they work. More than 1,800 charities across the UK benefit each year from the Foundation’s grants.
Art Fund
Art Fund is the national fundraising charity for art. In the past five years alone Art Fund has given £34 million to help museums and galleries acquire works of art for their collections. Art Fund is independently funded, with the core of its income provided by 151,000 members who receive the National Art Pass and enjoy free entry to over 240 museums, galleries and historic places across the UK, as well as 50% off entry to major exhibitions and subscription to Art Quarterly magazine. In addition to grant giving, Art Fund’s support to museums includes Art Fund Museum of the Year (won by Tate St Ives in 2018) and a range of digital platforms. Find out more about Art Fund and the National Art Pass at artfund.org.
Emma Phillips, Press Relations Manager, Art Fund ephillips@artfund.org / 020 7225 4804
Rachel Mapplebeck, Director of Communications, Art Fund rmapplebeck@artfund.org / 020 7225 4820
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