More than three years since their galleries closed for refurbishment, the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque treasures of the Walker Art Gallery return to public display on 29 July 2023.
Renaissance Rediscovered presents the Walker’s renowned collection of Western European art from the 13th to the 18th century. Masterpieces such as Simone Martini’s Christ Discovered in the Temple, Holbein’s Portrait of Henry VIII, and Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait as a Young Man feature in the elegant new spaces.
New acquisitions join this spectacular collection for the first time, including Allegory of Painting and Music, the first painting by Giovanni Andrea Sirani to enter a UK public collection, and Flowers in a Glass Vase on a Marble Ledge by 17th-century Dutch artist, Willem Van Aelst.
Other iconic artists represented include Titian, Lavinia Fontana, Peter Paul Rubens and Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.
Kate O’Donoghue, Curator of International Fine Art, said: “The opening of Renaissance Rediscovered marks an exciting chapter in the history of the Walker, creating beautiful spaces for some of the Gallery’s most magnificent treasures.
“Through remarkable paintings, prints, drawings, decorative art and sculpture, the galleries explore centuries of human creativity and expression. With fresh interpretation and thoughtful design, they will also explore stories that have been historically excluded in these spaces.
“We hope this transformation will allow visitors not only to marvel at the considerable skill and artistry on display but also to appreciate that however many centuries separate us, art will always find ways for us to connect with our past.”
Visitors can support this new chapter for the Walker Art Gallery with an exciting new fundraiser. A limited-edition tote bag features the new acquisition Flowers in a Glass Vase on a Marble Ledge by Willem van Aelst. A striking gift for the first 100 donors to donate £50, the painting is typical of the vanitas style, giving an initial impression of beauty and opulence but on closer inspection things are not quite as they seem.