The Last Roman

Emperor Justinian I (527 – 565 AD), the so-called ‘Last Roman Emperor’, rose from peasant beginnings in Serbia to become the most powerful man on Earth. Crowned Emperor of the Romans at Constantinople in 527 AD, Justinian’s reign saw a surge in the might of the Roman Empire – land in the West was reclaimed … Read more

Sir Joshua Reynolds: Artist and Collector

When the Royal Academy of Arts was founded in 1768, it elected Sir Joshua Reynolds – then England’s most prominent painter – as its first President. As part of a programme of events around the UK to mark 250 years of the Royal Academy, we celebrate Reynolds as artist and collector. The display brings together the four … Read more

The Rhythm of Light

Immensely appealing works by the four artists known collectively as the ‘Scottish Colourists’ – SJ Peploe, JD Fergusson, FCB Cadell and Leslie Hunter – are shown together for the first time in the West Midlands in this exhibition of works lent by the important Fleming Collection. Painted in the early 20th century, their cityscapes, still … Read more

The Artist in Art

Portraits of artists – by themselves or others – are the focus of this display from the Barber’s works on paper collection. Featuring works that span three centuries, it will include prints by Rembrandt, Cézanne and van Dyck, alongside subjects such as Picasso and Rodin. The display will explore the relationship between sitter and artist, … Read more

Working in Colour

The language of colour across four centuries of printmaking is explored in this display that complements the Barber’s main spring exhibition, ‘The Rhythm of Light’. Featuring at least six different types of printmaking and numerous colouring techniques by artists as diverse as Gillray, Turner, Max Ernst and Edward Lear, It also explores the possible functions, … Read more