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 public art museum located in Bath, Somerset, England. It first opened its doors in 1900. This was done to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, which marked 60 years of her rule. The building itself is very special, known as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected. Inside, the gallery holds more than 1,500 pieces of art. This includes many oil paintings by British artists, some dating back to the 1700s.
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About the Gallery Building
The Victoria Art Gallery building was designed in 1897 by an architect named John McKean Brydon. It's a Grade II* listed building, which means it's recognized for its special historical and architectural importance. When it first opened, part of the building was used as a public library. However, in 1990, it was changed to only display art.
The building is made from a type of stone called ashlar limestone. The upper part of the building is covered with a smooth finish. It sits on a corner, with two main floors and a small attic tower. This tower has a dome covered in lead. The building has nine sections facing Bridge Street and one section facing Grand Parade. Each floor mainly has one large, rectangular room.
To enter, you walk up a flight of stone steps to a round entrance hall. This hall leads to what used to be the library. The main staircase is very grand. It's made of mahogany wood and has thick, rounded balusters (the small posts that support the handrail). The ceiling above the staircase is curved, like the inside of a barrel. The upper landing has fancy marble columns and a ceiling with carved squares. These squares are decorated with signs of the Zodiac.
The Upper Gallery, where much of the art is displayed, gets its light from skylights in the ceiling. It has a curved ceiling and a plaster copy of the Parthenon frieze. A frieze is a long band of sculpted decoration. The lower part of the walls has a wooden paneling called a dado, decorated with triglyphs (patterns often seen in ancient Greek buildings).
Outside the Gallery
The outside of the building is also very impressive. It has special carved spaces called niches. The main niche in the middle is larger and has columns on either side. Inside this niche is a statue of Queen Victoria, created by Andrea Carlo Lucchesi. On either side of the statue, there are long carvings called friezes. These friezes show classical figures and were made by George Anderson Lawson. The gallery building connects to the Guildhall, which houses the local council offices.
The gallery was named to celebrate Queen Victoria's 60 years as queen. The local council, Bath and North East Somerset, manages the gallery. They look after its collection of paintings, sculptures, and decorative art. The gallery has two main display areas: the Upper Gallery and the Lower Gallery. These are connected by a beautiful marble hallway and a grand staircase.
What Can You See There?
The Victoria Art Gallery has a collection of over 1,500 beautiful art pieces. This includes a wide range of British oil paintings, from the 17th century (the 1600s) right up to today. You can see works by famous artists like Thomas Gainsborough, Thomas Jones Barker, and Walter Sickert. Besides paintings, the gallery also displays sculptures, delicate glassware, and other decorative art objects.
Sometimes, the gallery has special temporary exhibitions. For these special shows, there might be a small entrance fee. This helps the gallery continue to bring exciting new art to visitors. The gallery also offers its beautiful spaces for special events, like wedding ceremonies or parties.
Past Exhibitions
The gallery often hosts interesting temporary exhibitions. Some of the past shows have included:
- Grayson Perry: The Vanity of Small Differences (January 9 – April 10, 2016)
- James Tower Ceramic Artist: A Centenary Celebration (September 21 – November 24, 2019)
- Toulouse-Lautrec and the Masters of Montmartre (February 15 – May 26, 2020)
- Freud, Minton, Ryan: Unholy Trinity (July 10 – September 19, 2021)
- From Hogarth to Hodgkin: Our Best Prints (March 5 – May 4, 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
