Victorian Radicals At Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery

A truly fabulous exhibition is currently taking place in the Gas Hall of the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Victorian Radicals is possibly the finest exhibition of the works of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, as well as works by  local contemporary artists. Birmingham has always had an enviable collection of Pre-Raphaelite art, with pieces by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Ford Maddox Brown, as well as many pieces related to the exquisite designs of the William Morris studio. Now the collection has been carefully curated to create this stunning exhibition, one that should not be missed.

The exhibition is wonderful in that it showcases objects across the vast range of both the Pre-Raphaelite movement, and also the late 19th century ‘Arts and Crafts’ movement. As well as paintings, there are sketches, jewellery, rugs, stained glass and costumes all used to illustrate what was an exciting time in the world of arts and innovations.  All the most famous of the Pre-Raphaelite muses are represented in all their glory, Lizzie Siddall as Beata Beatrix, Jane Morris as La Donna Della Finestra, and Fannie Cornforth as the ‘Woman with a fan’.

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery say:-

Three generations of British artists, designers and makers revolutionised the visual arts in the second half of the nineteenth century. The Pre-Raphaelites, William Morris and his circle and the men and women of the Arts and Crafts movement transformed art and design.

What I love about this exhibition is that it combines some of my most cherished favourites, with pieces I have never seen, from local artists I really don’t know much about. My all time favourite painting, ‘The last of England’ by Ford Maddox Brown is examined in a new way showing how it led to later artists, who had immigrated to England, had seen their experience, whilst I also discovered some of the stunning pieces by the talented Kate Bunce, an artist I had not heard of before.

Victorian Radicals Exhibition

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

From the Pre-Raphaelites to the Arts and Crafts Movement10 February to 31 October 10am-5pm. (Closed Mondays and Tuesdays)

You can get your tickets online here.

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