19th/03/2013
On Tuesday, I was rather excited as I was going to meet Rachel Lambert-Jones who is in charge of Collections at the Gallery.
Upon first meeting her, I knew that she knew her stuff about the paintings that the gallery housed.
She offered to show me around all the collections and talk to me about the history of the collections and also about individual artists and works, that I thought may be more relevant to my research.
I mention that I was practically interested in paintings from the Victorian period that depicted viewpoints of Wolverhampton, Wales and Staffordshire. I was interested in these three areas as they related to my history but also to Dr Fraser history and areas where he worked. I also found out that geologist and mountaineers used to survey the landscape in a triangle formation. This also seemed to fit.
The Gallery is known for its Pop Art collection and for its interest in collecting work that is to do with conflict, particular Ireland’s conflict. Rachel says that the gallery is interested in collecting works that not many other galleries are collecting, they look for the gaps in the market.
The gallery is also tailored to work of the local industry, and the gallery current has an exhibition by Butler Bayliss. The Gallery was first started by Philip Horseman and was given a collection of works under the name of the Cartwright collection. The Gallery also had a very close relationship with the school of Art and later they joined together.
In 1960 the council start fund the gallery and its exhibitions.
They have a range of works in there modern paintings section by John Salt, Paul Graham, John Keen, Tom Hunter, Turner as well younger artists.
Rachel went on to show me more paintings relating to the Victorian and Georgian period such as George Morland. He was an artist that often painted storms, and was a gambler and drinker. He was born in London in 1763 he often painted remote parts of the landscape such as the Lake District and Wales.
Rachel also pointed out the artist John Fullwood, who painted scenes of Tattenhall and Sedgewell.
It was so exciting to learn about artists and their paintings and also to see the stores where they live. Not only does the gallery has a large collection of paintings they also have a large collection of prints, etchings, and drawings.
Artists that interested me were David Cox, David Bates, George Morland, Joseph Deville Vickers and David Lockley.
My Favourite painting in the collection has to be ‘Silent Pool’ by Joseph Deville Vickers. The Victorian painting depicts a stand alone tree with the back drop a pool. Which was painted in 1885. He was an artists that moved from Derbyshire to Wolverhampton. The Welsh Landscapes also inspired him, the gallery currently hangs two of his painting of Angelsey in the Bulter Bayliss show.
After spend most of the day in the stores, Rachel as set me up on Calm, which allowed me to go through the whole database for all the collections and look up key information relating to a piece of work. Not only did the system include the Art Galleries Collection, is also include, Biliston Craft Gallery, Archives, and Bantock House. This helped me look up more information about the artists and the work.
