News

Sumptuous portrait is autumn visitor to the Barber

by

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

STUDENTS CURATE STELLAR SHOW

by

The Barber’s first physical exhibition since reopening the museum in May is proving a hit with visitors and critics – thanks to the ten postgraduate students who curated the show entirely during lockdown. The Daily Telegraph’s chief art critic, Alastair Sooke, gave Making a Mark – which explores the crucial role of drawing in the … Read more

GALLERY OPEN

by

We are looking forward to seeing you soon! Our permanent collection, exhibitions and displays can be enjoyed from Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm – but do check the website before your visit in case of any last-minute changes. The safety of staff and visitors is very important to us. Research commissioned by the Association … Read more

From the Director

by

Welcome to summer at the Barber! We are looking forward to a wonderful summer of art at the Barber! The galleries are open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm. If you are a first-time visitor, I know you will be impressed by our beautiful Grade 1 listed building in its leafy campus setting. Once … Read more

Recent acquisitions on show as gallery reopens

by

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

Barber Health

by

Barber Health: Our Collection – Your Wellbeing Major health and art project set for central role at the Barber. The Barber is hosting its own nurse in residence as part of Barber Health, a pioneering scheme placing health and wellbeing at the heart of our engagement work. Using the gallery and its collection to address … Read more

Students at the Heart of Barber Health

by

Student engagement will be central to the Barber Institute’s groundbreaking new Barber Health project, and will range from elective academic placements through to opportunities to help deliver workshops and activities for campus and community. Barber Health starts this spring, thanks to a £40,000 Art Fund grant. Using the gallery and its collection to address the health and … Read more

The Barber is Grade 1 Listed

by

The Barber – once described as ‘the perfect place to contemplate art’ – has been awarded the highest heritage honour: Grade 1-listed building status. Historic England’s new web listing – an upgrading from Grade 2 praises the Barber as ‘a building of exquisite architectural quality’, recognising ‘the sophisticated design which follows logically from its plan, … Read more

Collections

by

Discover our stunning collections online – from Renaissance altarpieces to French Impressionists, watercolours to etchings, and 20th-century sculpture to ancient coins. Whether you’re scrolling to browse our masterpieces, or searching for a particular familiar face, follow the links below to enjoy… Paintings Works on Paper Coins Sculpture & Decorative Art University Collections