daviesac A revelatory project undertaken by the Barber and the University’s College of Medical and Dental Sciences has explored the fascinating part played by women in the hidden history of a common wild plant – and its role in the treatment of heart disease. Reclaiming the Foxglove is the first instalment of an ongoing partnership between … Read more
‘In 18th-century Britain, landscape – even the picturesque landscape – was a mode of political discourse.’ Ann Bermingham, 2002 The Viewer and the Viewed features eleven works on paper from the Barber’s collection by artists such as Gainsborough, Turner and David Cox, and explores these breathtaking landscapes from a socio-political perspective. Between the mid-eighteenth and … Read more
Series four Enjoy an in-depth insight into the Barber’s stunning collection through this programme of mini art podcasts. Discussions include past and present displays, small groups of related works, an aspect of the member of staff’s own research, or single masterpieces and recent acquisitions. Episode 6: The First Dictators: Politics, Propaganda and the Collapse of … Read more
Latona and the Frogs Utrecht, 1633 Engraving 213 x 260 mm From a family of engravers, Magdalena van de Passe and her father planned to produce an illustrated book of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. It was published posthumously in 1677. Here, the superbly detailed landscape dwarfs the goddess Latona and her babies, Apollo and Diana, who drink … Read more
Untitled: Study towards ‘Green Sanctuary’ London, 1964 Graphite on paper 65 x 149 mm Due to licencing rules, the Barber is currently unable to reproduce images of this work for our website. If you wish to view this work, you can make an appointment to see it in the Prints and Drawings Study Room. ‘I wanted … Read more
The Miller’s Tale I (from The Canterbury Tales II series) London, 1972 Etching and aquatint on paper 652 x 462 mm Due to licencing rules, the Barber is currently unable to reproduce images of this work for our website. If you wish to view this work, you can make an appointment to see it in … Read more
Study for ‘Villandry’ London, 1966 Graphite on paper 246 x 259 mm Due to licencing rules, the Barber is currently unable to reproduce images of this work for our website. If you wish to view this work, you can make an appointment to see it in the Prints and Drawings Study Room. Jaray draws the eye … Read more
Untitled Study London, 1964 Graphite on paper 373 x 300 mm Due to licencing rules, the Barber is currently unable to reproduce images of this work for our website. If you wish to view this work, you can make an appointment to see it in the Prints and Drawings Study Room. Jaray’s untitled studies seemingly offer … Read more
Reclaiming the Foxglove, Cultivating Narratives A joint project between the Barber Institute of Fine Arts and the College of Medical and Dental Sciences (MDS) In 2021, students and staff from the College of Medical and Dental Sciences joined forces with the Barber Institute of Fine Arts to explore herbalism’s forgotten voices and tales through a … Read more
This striking painting by one of the 18th century’s leading portraitists, Allan Ramsay, is a new face greeting visitors to the Barber this autumn. Ramsay’s portrait of Rosamund Sargent, painted in 1749, is on loan from Bath’s Holburne Museum, and is exchange partner for the Barber’s iconic The Blue Bower by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The Ramsay … Read more
NEW faces will greet visitors to the Barber Institute when the galleries reopen later this month, as two recently acquired paintings go on display for the first time. Museums are permitted to open from 17 May under step 3 of the English government’s roadmap out of lockdown, and the Barber’s collection and displays will be … Read more
Ikegobo to the Iyoba Written and recorded by Adwoa Owusu-Barnieh, University of Birmingham Classical Literature and Civilizations graduate. Listen now or read the transcript:
Due to a change in ventilation requirements for public venues, the University is required to install a new ventilation system in order for us to return to the Barber Concert Hall. At present we also cannot offer the Concert Hall for external hires/bookings. Until renovation is complete, the Barber Concert series will be in the Elgar … Read more
Maria Tassaert Still Life with a Garland of Fruit Antwerp, probably 1660s Oil on canvas 63.5 x 53.4cm Signed, lower left: ‘Maria Tassaert ft [fecit] A celebration of Nature’s bounty and the artist’s technical skills, this garland of fruit includes cherries, white peaches, cobnuts, white and black grapes, nectarines, raspberries, blackberries, a cut plum and … Read more
The Barber has a small shop situated at reception stocked with unique, high-quality cards, books, accessories and gifts. Our year-round range includes collection-based postcards, books, souvenirs – everything from Miss Clara fridge-magnets to our fabulous Monet umbrella. We also sell exhibition catalogues alongside a selection of other art books. Whatever you go for, you can … Read more
