Leeds Art Gallery facts for kids
Main entrance and frontage
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| Established | 3 October 1888 |
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| Location | The Headrow Leeds, LS1 3AA |
| Type | art gallery |
| Key holdings | 20th-century British art |
| Visitors | 453,088 (2013) |
The Leeds Art Gallery is a famous art museum located in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is part of the Leeds Museums & Galleries group. The gallery is well-known for its amazing collection of British art from the 20th century. In 1997, the British government officially said this collection was "of national importance," meaning it's very special for the whole country.
The gallery also has art from the 19th century and even older times. The building itself is a listed building (Grade II), which means it's an important historic place. It is owned and managed by Leeds City Council. The gallery is connected to the Leeds Central Library on one side and to the Henry Moore Institute on the other side by a bridge. They even share some sculptures!
Right in front of the gallery, you'll see a sculpture by a famous artist named Henry Moore. It's called Reclining Woman: Elbow and was made in 1981. Inside the entrance hall, there's an even older sculpture: a marble statue of Queen Anne from 1712. It's the oldest public sculpture in Leeds.
Outside the gallery is Victoria Square. This square is often used for public gatherings because the gallery's raised entrance makes a good spot for speakers.
History of the Gallery
The idea for this art gallery started in 1876 with a group called the Leeds Fine Art Society. An architect named William Henry Thorp designed the building. It was built between 1886 and 1888 as an addition to the nearby Municipal Buildings, which now house the Leeds Central Library.
The gallery first opened its doors on October 3, 1888. It was called the Leeds City Art Gallery back then. People helped pay for it by donating money to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887. The Mayor of Leeds, Archibald Witham Scarr, officially opened it.
What is now the lovely Tiled Hall Café used to be the sculpture gallery. It was one of the first parts of the building to have electric lights! Other parts of the gallery used natural light from glass roofs. The new building had a large central area with a glass roof and a fountain made of special local pottery. Later, a floor was added to this central area to create more space for art.
In 1912, a group called the Leeds Art Collections Fund was created. This group helps the gallery buy new artworks. By 2012, they had helped the gallery get over 430 new pieces!
Changes and Renovations
In 1982, the gallery was changed. The main entrance moved from the east side to the south, facing The Headrow. A new section was added just for sculptures. Also, three old houses on Cookridge Street were turned into the Henry Moore Institute. This institute is now connected to the gallery by a bridge and holds many of the sculptures. Queen Elizabeth II herself opened the new building on November 26, 1982.
Another big renovation happened in June 2007. It cost £1.5 million! During this time, the beautiful Victorian Tiled Hall was opened up. This hall now serves as a café and bookshop and connects the gallery and the library. One of the galleries was also named the Ziff Gallery, after a local supporter of the arts, Arnold Ziff. You can also go directly from the gallery to the Art Library on the first floor. The gallery also has a lecture theatre on the ground floor, named after Henry Moore, where different events are held.
The gallery closed again in January 2016 for more big renovations. It reopened on October 13, 2017. During this work, they uncovered the amazing glass roof in the Central Court Gallery, which had been hidden by a false ceiling. A colorful abstract painting by Lothar Götz was also added to brighten up the Victorian staircase.
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The 1712 statue of Queen Anne.
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A plaque from 1982, marking a special event.
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The Ziff Gallery, which used to be called the Queen's Room.
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The glass roof that was uncovered during the 2016 renovation.
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The main staircase and the lecture theatre.
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The sculpture gallery on the ground floor.
Artworks on Display
The Leeds Art Gallery has many incredible artworks for you to see. Here are just a few examples of the paintings and sculptures you might find:
Paintings
- The Shadow of Death (1870–73) by William Holman Hunt
- Scotland Forever! (1881) by Elizabeth Thompson
- The Bridesmaid (1883–85) by James Tissot
- The Lady of Shalott Looking at Lancelot (around 1894) by John William Waterhouse
- The Tin Mine (1942) by Graham Sutherland
Sculptures
- Hieroglyph by Barbara Hepworth
- Mother and Child by Henry Moore
- The Leeds Brick Man by Antony Gormley
