Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770)

Zephyrus and Flora Venice, about 1750 Pen, brown wash and black chalk on paper 23.9 x 33 cm Tiepelo made this drawing as a study for the principal figures in the ceiling fresco he painted for the Room of Mirrors in the Palazzo Labia in Venice. He also produced a small oil sketch of the … Read more

ascribed to Pietro Antonio Novelli (1729-1804)

A Music Party Venice, about 1750 Pen and brown wash over black chalk 25 x 37.3 cm This small scale domestic scene, known as a conservation piece, was characteristic of mid 18th century art. In this example from Venice, the music party takes place during the annual carnival – the figure to the left wears … Read more

Francesco Guardi (1712-1793)

A Coastal Scene Venice, the 1770s Pen and brown wash with traces of black chalk 25.1 x 36.9 cm In addition to his topographical views of Venice, Francesco Guardi also produced imaginary landscapes such as this coastal scene from the 1770s. Such drawings repeat the same range of motifs taken from the Venetian lagoon – … Read more

Thomas Rowlandson (1757-1827)

Dressing for the Masquerade  London, 1790 Tinted etching Paper: 37.3 x 51.3 cm; mount: 51.7 x 63 cm    The most obvious differences between this print and Rowlandson’s original drawing (Inv. No. 48.9) are the colours. The print has been hand tinted and consequently each version is slightly different from the others. The general colour … Read more

Jacques-Philippe Lebas (1707-1783) after Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin (1699-1779)

Le Négligé Paris, 1741 Engraving Paper: 38.6 x 27.4 cm; mount: 63 x 51.5 cm Lebas’ print reproduces ‘The Morning Toilette’, painted by Chardin (1669-1779) in 1741. Many of Chardin’s pictures were of domestic interiors, scenes of childhood and maternal love, all of which were fashionable with 18th-century French audiences. Here, a young girl glances … Read more

William Hogarth (1697-1764)

Night (from the sequence ‘The Four Times of the Day’) London, 1738 Etching and graving, black ink on paper Paper: 48.6 x 40.2 cm; mount: 80.8 x 40.2 cm Disorder and chaos rule in this side-street of taverns and brothels near Charing Cross. Children sleep under a table while a drunken Freemason is escorted home … Read more

William Hogarth (1697-1764)

Evening (third in the sequence from ‘The Four Times of the Day’) London, 1738 Etching and engraving with red ink  Paper: 48.5 x 40.6; mount: 80.8 x 60.5 cm Clenched fists and furrowed brows indicate an oncoming tantrum as this brother and sister quarrel over a gingerbread man. The contrast between the children’s elegant clothing … Read more

William Hogarth (1697-1764)

Morning (first in the sequence from ‘The Four Times of the Day’) London, 1738 Etching and engraving, black ink on paper Paper: 48.8 x 39.7 cm; mount: 80.8 x 60.5 cm A wealthy spinster crosses Covent Garden Piazza on a freezing morning. The spinster’s attention is riveted on two embracing couples, causing her to ignore … Read more

Francisco de Goya (1746-1828)

Don’t Scream, Silly (No Grites, Tonta) Madrid, 1799 Etching with aquatint and drypoint Plate: 21.5 x 15.8 cm, mount: 56 x 40.5 cm Plate 74 from Los Caprichos. Goya’s commentary reads: “Poor little Francisca! She was looking for the footman and she met the goblin. But don’t be afraid! The goblin is in a good … Read more

Johann Heinrich Tischbein (1751-1829)

Study from ‘The Massacre of the Innocents’ Rome, about 1780 Black chalk on paper 490 x 365 mm Tischbein made this drawing in Rome during a study trip to Italy (1779-1781). This was a common journey for artists at the time, giving them the chance to study and copy works of Renaissance masters. Here, Tischbein focuses … Read more

Valentine Green (1739-1813)

Miravan Breaking Open the Tomb of His Ancestors London, 1772 Mezzotint, third state 528 x 391 mm Joseph Wright of Derby (1734-1797) painted the original of this work in 1772 and regarded it as one of his finest paintings. The tale of Miravan was penned by the poet John Gilbert Cooper, who reworked the Greek historian Herodotus’ account … Read more

Johann Baptist Klauber (1712-1787)

Henricus I (Henry the Fowler) Augsburg, 1745-50 Engraving 572 x 762 mm Klauber, a successful print maker and publisher in Augsburg, was greatly influenced by nature and medieval history. This richly detailed scene is one of thirteen he created featuring birds and hunts. A 10th-century German king, Henry I is generally considered to be the … Read more

GIOVANNI BATTISTA PIRANESI (1720-1778)

The Villa d’Este, Tivoli Rome, 1773 Etching This engraving is from a series entitled Views of Rome. In this etching, Piranesi depicted the impressive gardens of the Villa d’Este in Tivoli, originally built for Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este (1509-1572).  The inclusion of tiny figures on the steps emphasises the scale of the grounds. The garden … Read more

FAMILY CIRCLES

British Portrait Miniatures of Children and Families The family – and how its members are depicted on portrait miniatures – is the theme of this display of outstanding small British (and one French) masterpieces from two important English private collections. Complementing the exhibition Ruby’s Room, it includes delightful and intimate little portraits of children, brothers, … Read more

The Collection

The Barber Institute contains one of the finest small collections of European art in the UK. The works have been purchased to fit Lady Barber’s criteria that everything should be of ‘that standard of quality required by the National Gallery or Wallace Collection’. Careful consideration has also been given to making sure that the works … Read more

Thomas Rowlandson (1757-1827)

Dressing for the masquerade London, 1790 Pencil, watercolour, pen and ink on paper 325 X 438 MM Four women dress for a masquerade; according to a paper held by the dishevelled figure to the right, it is to be held at the Pantheon in Oxford Street. She is disguised as a madwoman, a common guise … Read more

ROSALBA CARRIERA (1675-1757)

A Portrait of Gustavus Hamilton, 2nd Viscount Boyne (1710 – 1746) Venice, about 1730 – 1 Pastel, heightened with white bodycolour on paper 597 x 476 mm This striking portrait of Lord Boyne shows him in Venetian carnival dress, wearing a fine ermine trimmed coat, a bauta or lace veil, black tricorn hat and a … Read more