Wolverhampton Art Gallery facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Wolverhampton Art Gallery

Established	1884
Location	Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton, England
Collection size	20,000 objects
Visitors	158,658 (2008)

Wolverhampton Art Gallery is a fantastic place to explore art and history, located in Wolverhampton, England. It first opened its doors in May 1884. A local builder named Philip Horsman helped pay for and construct the building. The city also provided the land for this special gallery.

The Gallery Building

The Wolverhampton Art Gallery building has two floors. It was designed by a famous architect from Birmingham, Julius Chatwin. The building is made from a special stone called Bath stone, which is a type of Limestone. Six red granite columns mark the main entrance.

Look closely at the front of the building! You'll see a beautiful sculpted design called a frieze. It shows sixteen characters representing different arts and crafts. These include sculpture, painting, architecture, pottery, glassblowing, and metalwork. This building is so important that it's a Grade II* listed building.

The gallery was updated and made bigger in 2006–2007. This added more space for exciting exhibitions.

Amazing Art Collections

Abraham Janssens, Peace and Plenty Binding the Arrows of War, 1614

The gallery has about 20,000 objects in its collection. One of the most important artworks is a large painting called Peace and Plenty Binding the Arrows of War. It was painted in 1614 by a Flemish artist named Abraham Janssens. This painting is the only one by Janssens in any public collection in Britain. It's a great example of Flemish Baroque art.

The gallery also has a small collection of older paintings by famous artists. These include a version of A Spinner's Grace by Gerard Dou. You can also see Bouquet of Flowers by Jan van Huysum. There are also many old drawings by artists like Wenceslas Hollar and Alessandro Allori.

Frederick Daniel Hardy, The Dismayed Artist

Many artworks in the gallery were given as gifts. Local people who loved art, like Philip Horsman, donated them. These gifts often included British art from the 1800s. Because of this, the gallery has a very strong collection of art from the Victorian era.

In the early 1900s, the artist Frank Brangwyn gave many of his artworks to the gallery. His friend, Matthew Biggar Walker, also donated many of Brangwyn's pieces.

The gallery also has a special collection of 114 historic tsuba from Japan. These are decorative sword guards that were part of Japanese swords. They date from the 1500s to the 1800s. A local councilor named Davis Green bought this collection and donated it in 1924.

Wolverhampton was famous for making "japanned ware" and Bilston "enamels" in the 1700s and 1800s. The gallery has a large collection of these items. These collections show the important crafts and industries of the area.

The gallery also has many artworks by local artists. These include John Fullwood, Joseph Vickers de Ville, and George Phoenix. In the 1990s, art from the Bilston Museum and Art Gallery was moved here. This added more works by local painters like Edwin Butler Bayliss.

Since the late 1960s, Wolverhampton Art Gallery has been collecting a lot of pop art. This is a fun and colorful art style!

There's also a unique collection of artworks that look at the time of "Troubles" in Northern Ireland. These pieces help us understand that period through art.

By 2009, the gallery's collection had about 12,000 items. These included paintings, drawings, Eastern art, japanned ware, enamels, ceramics, glass, dolls, toys, and local history items. There is even a collection of geological specimens from Dr. John Fraser.

Permanent Art Displays

You can see a selection of the gallery's collection in several rooms that are always on display.

The Georgian Room

This room shows art from the 1700s, known as the Georgian period. You can see paintings like Portrait of the Lee Family by Joseph Highmore. There's also The Provoked Wife by Johann Zoffany. A portrait of Erasmus Darwin by Joseph Wright of Derby is also here. You can also find Apotheosis of Penelope Boothby by Henry Fuseli. Don't miss Arrival of Louis XVIII at Calais by Wolverhampton-born Edward Bird.

The room also displays tiny portrait miniatures. You can see Bilston enamels that show famous actors from that time. There are also examples of Eastern and British ceramics from the 1700s.

The Victorian Rooms

The Victorian Room

These two rooms show British art from the 1800s, the Victorian era. You'll see landscapes by artists like Henry Mark Anthony and David Cox. There are also paintings by the Cranbrook Colony artists. Religious paintings by Pre-Raphaelite artist Frederic Shields are on display.

You can also see japanned ware made by local companies. Some of these items were shown at The Great Exhibition. There are examples of local Myatt pottery too. The rooms also feature Eastern objects collected by local people. These include Chinese ceramics, Japanese woodblock prints, and Indian pottery.

Pop Art Gallery

The pop art gallery is a fun, interactive space. It lets you explore the world of pop art. This art style mixes popular culture, social comments, and celebrity themes. The artworks in this gallery change about every six months. This means there's always something new to see!

You might see works by famous pop artists like Andy Warhol and Peter Blake. Other artists featured include Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney, and Eduardo Paolozzi.

The Northern Ireland Collection

This display looks at how artists show and think about the past and future of Northern Ireland. Artists like Willie Doherty and Rita Duffy are featured here. The gallery shows pieces from its own collection. It also borrows other artworks to give different views on the history of the conflict.

Makers Dozen Studios

The Makers Dozen Studios are workshops for artists in the West Midlands. For many years, Wolverhampton's School of Art and the Art Gallery were in the same building. These studios continue that connection. They are located on Wulfruna Street and are connected to the main gallery building.

Learning and Accessibility

The Georgian Gallery has special furniture designed in the Georgian style. You can touch and explore these pieces. They help you learn about life in the 1700s. You can discover things from scientific discoveries to the world of theater.

The Sensing Sculpture display encourages visitors to use all their senses. You can touch, smell, and listen to the sculptures, not just look at them! Many sculptures are from the gallery's collection. Some are on loan, and others were made just for this display. Braille information is available throughout the gallery. Visitors are even encouraged to learn some Braille during their visit.

Other Places to Visit

Wolverhampton Art Gallery is part of Wolverhampton Arts and Museums Services. Other places in this service include Bantock House and Bilston Craft Gallery.

Gallery

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  Portrait of Sir Edward Turner by Thomas Gainsborough (1762)

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  The Arrival of Louis XVIII at Calais by Edward Bird (c 1816)

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  Eliza O'Neill as Belvidera by Arthur William Devis, 1816

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  View of Bristol by Patrick Nasmyth, 1827

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  Duchess of Sutherland in Her Coronation Robes by Charles Robert Leslie, 1839

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  The Vision, Dante and Beatrice by Ary Scheffer, 1846

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  Off Calais by Clarkson Stanfield, 1856

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  Conway Castle by David Cox, 1857

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  Ruins of the Roman Forum by David Roberts

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  The Warning Before Flodden by John Faed, 1874

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  An Old Mill Near Worcester by Benjamin Williams Leader, 1880