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Leeds ARTICLES

The National Importance Of Leeds Art Gallery

14th November 2008

The government in 1997 purported that the collection of artwork in the Leeds City Art Gallery was of national importance.

The staff selects the collection of artworks on display in the gallery. Masterpieces and lesser-known works are displayed together, giving the public the opportunity to see the diversity of the collections.

Only a small fraction of the recent and long-term acquisitions are on show at one time as the collection is quite extensive. However the works that are not on show are available for private viewing by appointment only.

The Leeds City Art Gallery has historic collections of watercolours by such as JMW Turner and John Sell Cotman. Also in the collection is Rembrandt, Henry Moore and contemporary artists Paula Rego and Rose Garrard.

Lord Leighton’s ‘Return of Persephone’ is one of the many artists represented from the Victorian era.

Sam Wilson personal collection was presented to the City of Leeds in 1915 and consisted of paintings, sculptures, pastels, furniture and ceramics.

Whistler, Sickert, Jack Smith and Stanley Spencer are a few of the artists work on display at the gallery that concentrate on Britain and Europe during 1900 – 1920.

In 1937 modernism was introduced to the gallery, with abstract paintings from artists such as Francis Butterfield. Today’s collection has gone on to include impressionism and new trends in the art World from artists like Barbara Hepworth, Paul Nash and Henry Moore.

The gallery also has a considerable collection of sculptures by the artists Auguste Rodin and Alexander Calder. More recent works from artists Anthony Gormley and Bill Woodrow are also on display. The Tate only betters the sculpture collection at Leeds City Art Gallery.

Leeds City Art Gallery is in the process of building up a collection of Contemporary Art, as they believe it is important to leave a trace of our lives for future generations. But it is hard for public galleries to purchase contemporary art as questions are raised about spending public money to buy art.

So to eradicate such issues the Arts Council of England and the Contemporary Art Society are funding a Special Collections Scheme over 5 years for up to 15 galleries in England to build up collections of contemporary art.