Victoria Art Gallery facts for kids
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| Established | 1900 |
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| Location | Bath, Somerset |
| Visitors | 92,000 per year |
The Victoria Art Gallery is a cool public art museum located in Bath, Somerset, England. It first opened its doors in 1900. This was a special year because it celebrated Queen Victoria's 60 years as queen, known as her Diamond Jubilee. The building itself is very important, listed as a Grade II* building. Inside, you can find over 1,500 amazing art pieces. This includes many oil paintings by British artists from the 1700s up to today. Long ago, the ground floor of the gallery was actually a public library!
Contents
Discovering the Victoria Art Gallery Building
The Victoria Art Gallery was designed in 1897 by an architect named John McKean Brydon. It's a special building, listed as Grade II*. This means it's a very important historical building. At first, part of it was a public library. But in 1990, it was changed to only show art.
The building is made from a type of stone called ashlar (which means cut stone). The top half is covered in a smooth finish. It sits on a corner, looking out onto the street. It has two main floors and a small attic tower with a dome on top.
Inside, there are large, rectangular rooms on each floor. Stone steps lead up to a round entrance hall. This hall then takes you to the main staircase. This grand staircase is made of mahogany wood and looks like something from the 1600s. The ceiling above the stairs is curved like a barrel.
The upper floor has a beautiful landing with marble columns. The ceiling here has a dome with cool signs of the Zodiac carved into it. The Upper Gallery is bright, lit by skylights. It also has a copy of the famous Parthenon frieze, which is a long band of sculptures.
Outside the Gallery: Statues and Art
On the outside of the building, you'll see special spots called niches. The biggest one in the middle holds a statue of Queen Victoria. This statue was made by Andrea Carlo Lucchesi. On either side of the statue, there are carvings of classical figures by George Anderson Lawson.
The gallery was named to celebrate Queen Victoria's 60 years on the throne. The local council, Bath and North East Somerset, takes care of the gallery. It holds their collection of paintings, sculptures, and decorative art. There are two main areas to explore: the Upper Gallery and the Lower Gallery. They are connected by a grand marble hallway and a big staircase.
Exploring the Art Collection
The Victoria Art Gallery has a collection of more than 1,500 beautiful art pieces. This includes many British oil paintings from the 1600s to now. You can see works by famous artists like Thomas Gainsborough, Thomas Jones Barker, and Walter Sickert. Besides paintings, the gallery also displays sculptures, glassware, and other artistic objects.
Sometimes, the gallery needs to charge a small fee to see special temporary art shows. This helps them keep bringing new and exciting art to Bath. You can even rent out the two galleries for special events like wedding ceremonies!
Cool Past Exhibitions
The gallery often hosts temporary exhibitions, bringing new art to see. Here are some cool ones they've had:
- Grayson Perry: The Vanity of Small Differences (2016)
- James Tower Ceramic Artist: A Centenary Celebration (2019)
- Toulouse-Lautrec and the Masters of Montmartre (2020)
- Freud, Minton, Ryan: Unholy Trinity (2021)
- From Hogarth to Hodgkin: Our Best Prints (2022)
Images for kids
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The side of the gallery showing the old entrance and statue of Queen Victoria
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Foyer of the gallery
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Plan of the Gallery
