Southampton City Art Gallery facts for kids
The Southampton City Art Gallery is an art gallery located in Southampton, a city in southern England. You can find it inside the Southampton Civic Centre building on Commercial Road.
History of the Gallery
This art gallery first opened its doors in 1939. A lot of the money to start the gallery came from two generous people, Robert Chipperfield and Frederick William Smith, who left money in their wills.
During World War II, the gallery was damaged. It took some time to fix everything, so it didn't fully reopen until 1946.
What You Can See
The gallery has a huge collection of art, with over 5,300 pieces! These artworks cover six centuries of European art history. The building itself is also special, showing off the style of architecture from the 1930s. The gallery's collection is so important that it's officially recognized as a "Designated Collection" for the whole country.
Amazing Artworks to Discover
Some of the most famous artworks you can see here include:
- A 14th-century altarpiece by Allegretto Nuzi. An altarpiece is a special artwork placed behind an altar in a church.
- Paintings by Giambattista Pittoni.
- The "Perseus" series by Edward Burne-Jones.
- Works by groups of artists called the Camden Town Group and The London Group.
- Sculptures by famous artists like Jacob Epstein, Auguste Rodin, Edgar Degas, Henri Gaudier Brzeska, Richard Deacon, and Tony Cragg.
- Photographs by Richard Long.
Visiting the Gallery
In November 2012, Southampton City Council announced that the gallery's opening hours would change. This was part of a plan to save money.
Since April 1, 2013, the gallery's opening times are:
- Monday to Friday: 10am to 3pm
- Saturday: 10am to 5pm
- Sunday: Closed
