daviesac From bustling alleys and intricate architectural detail, to sweeping panoramas of grand public celebrations and towering monuments, this display of prints and drawings captures the vibrancy and expansion of European cities from the 17th to the 19th century. Curated to mark the recent acquisition of two views of Paris after Thomas Girtin (right), it includes … Read more
Court, Patrons & Writers in Shakespeare’s Circle Marking the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, this exhibition, the Barber’s first ever exploring Elizabethan and Jacobean art, focuses on the Bard’s chief patrons at court, and on other leading writers – rivals and associates. Organised in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery, London, it features … Read more
Playful putti, nude nymphs and sinister satyrs adorn the intricate and imaginative ‘Suite de Vases’ by Ennemond-Alexandre Petitot (1727 – 1801). This display showcases eleven of his beautifully eccentric, neoclassical drawings for ornamental vases, engraved by Benigno Bossi (1727 – 1792). First published as a set of 31 plates in 1764, they combine Petitot’s architectural … Read more
Uncovering Hoards Buried treasure – and the excitement of discovering it – lies at the heart of this fascinating exhibition exploring coin hoards. The Barber Institute’s collection contains coins from no fewer than 48 hoards, of which eight will be uncovered here. These include two caches unearthed in Britain: the Dorchester Hoard (pictured right), dug … Read more
From leafy bowers sheltering weary travellers to the melancholy or menace of brooding forests and overgrown paths, these prints and drawings explore man’s relationship with trees, woods and forests, and are drawn from a wide-ranging geographical area and period. Curated around one of our latest long-term loans, ‘Path Through a Dark Wooded Landscape’ by John … Read more
Projecting identity in 17th-century Portraiture Artists, writers, politicians and royalty come under the spotlight in this display, which explores how portraiture was used to assert status, celebrate achievements and project individuality in the 17th century. It features prints, drawings and miniatures from the Barber’s own collection along with miniatures on loan from two fine private … Read more
Portraits from the University of Birmingham Jacob Epstein, Tom Phillips, Humphrey Ocean and Jennifer McRae: some of the most respected British artists of the 20th century have been commissioned by the University over the past 100 years to portray and honour its chancellors, vice chancellors and other leading figures. This selection features oil paintings, works … Read more
Stolen gingerbread, spirited laughter, serenely slumbering infants and poised young girls provide some colourful contrasts in this exploration of the evolving imagery of children and childhood. Curated to complement Flinck in Focus, this display includes stylistically diverse prints and drawings selected from the Barber’s collection – from tranquil religious prints of the 17th century to … Read more
A Question of Identity in 17th-century Dutch Portraiture One of Rembrandt’s most talented pupils, Govert Flinck was a highly prized and extremely successful portraitist and history painter, with a reputation that grew to match even that of his master. He was particularly popular for his portraits of children – a genre his teacher eschewed. But his … Read more
German Romantic Prints and Drawings from the Barber’s Collection Inspired by their native landscape, mythology and history, 19th-century German Romantic artists were fascinated with the themes of nature, love and the fragility of life. This display explores the motives behind the fantastical imagery of some of the best known exponents, including Carl Wilhelm Kolbe, Adrian … Read more
Portraits of Inter-War Politicians by Edmund Kapp The 2015 General Election might one day be regarded as one of the most unpredictable and intriguing of this century. But politics a hundred years ago was no less fascinating – and the politicians of the day arguably a good deal more colourful. This display features portrait drawings … Read more
Smith, Dobson & British Portraiture 1920-60 A snapshot through the lens of Modernism, this fascinating exhibition explores and juxtaposes the work of two under-appreciated British artists: sculptor Frank Dobson and painter Matthew Smith. Discussing the dynamic relationshop between sitter and artist within the broader cultural context of the period, it features such celebrated contributors to … Read more
Epic ambitions underpin this display inspired by Hercules and Caucus, the magnificent chiaroscuro woodcut by Hendrick Goltzius, recently acquired for the gallery. Gods and Heroes includes prints after Titian, Michelangelo and Rubens, featuring subjects drawn from both ancient mythology and the Judo-Christian tradition. It seeks to uncover the methods and motives behind the representation of … Read more
The frivolous and extravagant fashions of the Ancien Regime were brought to a swift and bloody end at the onset of the French Revolution in 1789. In the ensuing years, a taste for simpler, classically inspired clothing migrated across from Revolutionary France into Britain. This display explores the depiction of fashionable dress in an array … Read more
The Imperial Legacy in Coinage and Culture Look at one of the coins you’re carrying today: you’ll see the Queen’s portrait facing right and Latin script around the royal head. It seems our coins have looked this way forever – and that’s nearly true. But why? This exhibition uses money to explore and question our deep-seated familiarity with the Roman Empire’s imagery. Britain is … Read more
Voyeurism, idolatry, the transience of life and orange-phobia are among the diverse subjects and themes explored in this year’s New Art West Midlands. Created in a wide range of media – including oil, acrylic, photography , found objects, textiles and boiled sweets – this multi-site, selective award exhibition showcases work by emerging local artists. The … Read more
German Expressionist Prints from the Barber’s Collection A society fractured by conflict – and poised on the brink of further social unrest – is depicted with brutal honesty in these striking early 20th-century prints by celebrated artists including Max Beckmann, George Grosz and Egon Schiele. Complementing Rebel Visions, this display also explored the changing social … Read more
Works on Paper from the Barber’s Collection The naked body has inspired some of the greatest works of art, and the study of it was long regarded as vital to demonstrate artistic mastery in representing both the ideal and the everyday. Intended to add context to Zoffany’s fascinating painting, A Life Class, currently on loan … Read more
The War Art of CRW Nevinson The powerful art and contradictory personality of British war artist Richard Nevinson will be explored in this ground breaking exhibition – the centrepiece of our autumn programme. Famous for his dramatic, often haunting images of the battlefield and its soldiers, Nevinson’s arresting paintings, drawing, prints and posters also acknowledged … Read more
Portrait Prints from the Barber’s Collection Featuring stunning works by Rembrandt, Goya, Cezanne and Picasso, this display spans four centuries of portrait printmaking. It explores the different compositional approaches, styles and techniques adopted by artists that contribute to an evolving dialogue about the purpose and practice of portraiture. Organized to complement the exhibition ‘Lasting Impressions‘, … Read more
20th-century Portrait Prints From etchings to a plasticine print, Lasting Impressions brings together works that document the renaissance of the portrait print from the early 20th century to the present day. By the late 1800s, printmaking had undergone such monumental technological changes that its status had sunk to that of mere reproduction. However, in response, … Read more
Sasanian Coins Who were the Sasanians? Prior to the rise of Islam in the seventh century, the power which most effectively matched the Byzantine Empire in the east was the Sasanian Persian Empire, based around the areas of modern Iran and Iraq, and centred on its capital city of Ktesiphon, near modern Baghdad. In 224 … Read more
British Coins British coinage in the Barber collection begins in the first century BC with coins produced in the Channel Islands, under the influence of Continental models. By the first century AD local rulers were producing coins with clear Roman influences, until Britain was largely brought under Roman rule. From the mid first century A.D. … Read more
Western Medieval Coins The Barber Institute collection of western medieval coins is small but contains some fine examples of Visigothic, Vandal, Merovingian and Burgundian coins, Lombard and Norman issues, a selection of British coins charting the development of British coinage from the pre-Roman to the modern period, and an important collection of coins of the … Read more
Miscellaneous Objects in the Coin Collection In addition to coins and seals, the Barber Institute Coin Room also houses a small selection of paranumismatica (things like or associated with coins). These provide useful teaching aids and in some cases supplement a historical understanding of coins by providing information about their creation and use in markets. … Read more
