Tales of the City

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

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

First Impressions

Early Acquisitions of Prints for the Barber Collection The Barber Institute’s collection of works on paper is famed for its exemplary quality, due in no small part to the acquisitions of its first Director, Professor Thomas Bodkin. This display focuses on the prints purchased for the collection in 1939, the year the Barber Institute opened, … Read more