Four paintings which had languished in the Fine Art Store for many years were conserved recently thanks to funding provided by The Friends of Bristol Art Gallery, and in December the paintings took pride of place in a partial re-hang of the Modern British Gallery. These paintings, with commentaries, are shown below.

Two new works, also purchased with the help of the Friends and included in the re-hang (Broken Roundabout, and Concrete Form II),  featured in previous News items still available in this part of the website.The fourth, a Lightbox by Bristol street artist Motorboy, is included below.   Gran Turismo was also put on display for the first time in the re-hang but this was purchased in 2007-8 and featured in a News item at that time which is no longer available. However, the image of this painting can still be seen on the Acquisitions & Conservations Gallery page.  

Conserved paintings: (Click on any image below to enlarge it)

Celia’s Aunts:

This painting by Steven Spurrier is shown below in its “before” state, with a large tear easily visible through the centre of the painting (helpfully missing any of the figures), and then after its conservation: ”You would never know………”

It is the Second World War and the elegant Celia is visiting her aunts, probably in London.   Her boyfriend, a Royal Navy sailor, sits in the foreground unable to relax.  The aunts are dressed in old-fashioned clothes and are using their silver tea service, which includes a covered muffineer to keep the toasted English muffins warm.

Steven Spurrier was an illustrator who worked for magazines.  He was also a prolific painter, exhibiting in London and elsewhere for over 50 years.

(Purchased with the Wills Fund, 1943)

Red Abstract No 5:

‘Red Abstract No 5’

Victor Pasmore was one of the leading British abstract artists.  His early work was figurative, and highly regarded, but in the late 1940s he progressed logically to abstraction.  The picture is an independent object in its own right, not a representation of another object.  Looking back, he said he had witnessed the ‘revolution in Painting…(when) the naturalist painter has been forced to start completely again’.  This monumental work is in shallow relief, giving a subtle extra dimension of the painted surface.

Given by the Friends of Bristol Art Gallery, 1978 (purchased by us through the Dyer Bequest Fund, 1961, with the assistance of the Gulbenkian Foundation).

Note: Conservation of the Spurrier and Pasmore paintings was done in 2010 by Conservator Seonaid Wood of Bristol.  The overall cost of £5,500 was funded by The Friends of Bristol Art Gallery.

Black, Grey and Blue:

‘Black Grey and Blue’

Although many of William Scott’s paintings were still-lifes, this work is from a ;period when all recognisable forms had disappeared into pure abstraction.  His concern, however, was still ‘the division of spaces and forms; these must be made to move and be animated like living matter’.  He was also interested in the texture of paint – thin, thick, scratched – and disliked a smooth finish.  There is a subtle ambiguity of space and depth and the shapes seem to float above the canvas.

Given by The Friends of Bristol Art Gallery, 1978 (purchased by us through the Dyer Bequest Fund 1961)

Holidays

‘Holidays’

Harry Watson was born in Scarborough but moved to London to study.  For many years he taught life drawing at the Regent Street Polytechnic and wrote a book on the subject.  He painted landscapes and portraits and Holidays is typical of his best work, showing a carefree day by a mountain river.  He painted it in a bold and confident manner, omitting the sky and concentrating on the play of light over the angular rocks and the relaxed poses of the girls.

Purchased 1922.   Note: Conservation of the Scott and Watson paintings was done in 2010 by Conservator Rachel Howells of Cardiff.  The overall cost of £9,000 was funded by The Friends of Bristol Art Gallery.

New item:

Lightbox

What’s the Point of Robbery

Motorboy is a Bristol artist who often uses images and text from popular contemporarr culture.  Fragments of song lyrics feature in his recent work, odd phrases that remind us of distant memories.   The first part of the text on this lightbox comes from a 1981 pop song and Motorboy has put his own answering slogan beneath it.  In his street art he often combines images with appropriate text and pastes them up in odd corners of the city.  They are both wittty and subversive.

Given by The Friends of Bristol Art Gallery 2009.  The work cost £750.

Today we travel to the V & A for the exhibition The Cult of Beauty: The Aesthetic Movement in Britain 1860-1900.  This follows the Lecture by Dr Esme Whittaker on 15 March. 

This is the first major exhibition to comprehensively explore Aestheticism, an extraordinary artistic movement which sought to escape the ugliness and materialism of the Victorian era by creating a new kind of art and beauty.  The exhibition will feature paintings, furniture, ceramics, metal work, wallpapers, photographs and costumes, as well as architectural and interior designs.  

Because this excursion is on a Sunday, the coach will leave Clifton Down Shopping Centre, Whiteladies Road at 8.30 am

The booking form was included with the February Bulletin. 

(This entry updated on 28 February 2011)

(First added 10 January 2011)

This major exhibition presents a fresh assessment of the history of watercolour painting in Britain from its emergence in the Middle Ages through to the present day.   Around 200 works will include historic artists such as William Blake,Thomas Girtin and JMW Turner through to modern and contemporary artists including Patrick Heron, Peter Doig and Tracey Emin. 

This is a Saturday excursion leaving Pembroke Road at 8.30am

The booking form was included with the February Bulletin.

(This item updated 28 February 2011)

We travel cross-country today to see the Constable and Salisbury: the Soul of Landscape exhibition.

John Constable (1776-1837) made more paintings and drawings in and around Salisbury than any other area, apart from the Stour Valley.   Apart from the exhibition, there is much else of interest to see in the Salisbury & South Wilts Museum, including 3 magnificent Turner watercolours.

We shall combine this visit with a guided tour of Salisbury Cathedral.

The booking form was included with the February Bulletin.

(This item updated 28 February 2011)

‘Public Sculpture of Bristol’ a major new work by Douglas Merritt and Francis Greenacre is soon to be published with the support of The Friends.  This is the definitive catalogue of all street sculpture in Bristol covering 800 years, illustrated with 4oo photographs.  A special invitation to members of  The Friends of Bristol Art Gallery to the Launch of this important book in the Rear Hall of the Museum on 19 January was included in the November issue of the Bulletin.  See News for more details.

(This item updated on 29 November 2010)

Centring around the city of Venice, the exhibition is entitled Venice: Canaletto and His Rivals, and features work by other 18th century artists such as Luca Carlevarijs, Michele Marieschi, Bernado Bellotto and Francesco Guardi, covering the period from 1707 to 1793.

Full details and a booking form were in the November Bulletin.  This excursion is nearly full, so if you want to come, return your completed booking form to Margaret Bell as soon as possible.

(This item updated on 9 December 2010)

The first lecture of the New Year will be given by Jacqueline Ansell who will talk to us about Canaletto.

Jacqueline is a National Gallery freelance lecturer, and was previously their full time Education Officer.  She is also a lecturer for Christie’s Education and the Open University.

There will an excursion to the Canaletto Exhibition two days later on Saturday 8 January — see next entry.

(This item first added on 22 July 2010).