20 August – 27 September 2020
Tickets available now! Book here

Featuring much-loved paintings and never seen before artworks

Much-loved paintings and works on paper depicting York and the surrounding countryside will go on show in a new exhibition to mark the reopening of York Art Gallery next month.

Artists such as L.S. Lowry, Letitia Marion Hamilton and John Piper present contrasting views of the heart of the city, while newly conserved prints of York Minster dating from the first half of the 19^th century will be displayed for the first time, revealing shifting perspectives of the cathedral.

Works by artists including Ethel Walker, J.M.W. Turner and Joseph Alfred Terry capture picturesque rural and coastal scenes beyond the city walls.

Dr Beatrice Bertram, senior curator at York Art Gallery, said: “The city of York and the beautiful coast and countryside beyond have long been a source of inspiration for artists. We wanted to mark our reopening with an exhibition of some of our most famous topographical scenes, such as L.S. Lowry’s striking painting of Clifford’s Tower which the Gallery commissioned for the Evelyn Award in 1952.

“Thanks to the Friends of York Art Gallery, we are also able to showcase a selection of characterful watercolours and prints by artists including John Varley, Thomas Rowlandson and Thomas Shotter Boys, which illustrate York Minster and its environs during the first half of the 19^th century.

“Collectively, the artworks featured in the show paint a picture of the city and its locale from 1758 to the present day – peaceful vistas which have an enduring resonance during these turbulent times.”

The exhibition will comprise three sections:

The first will look at painted and engraved representations of York Minster; the second will explore views of the city centre, including depictions of iconic buildings and the historic walls, such as William Etty’s Monk Bar, York, William Marlow’s The Old Ouse Bridge, and Michael Angelo Rooker’s Layerthorpe Postern, York; while the third will feature rural and coastal scenes around York and North Yorkshire, such as J.M.W Turner’s The Dormitory and Transept of Fountains Abbey – Evening, Joseph Alfred Terry’s Underhill Farm, Sleights, and Ethel Walker’s Robin Hoods Bay in Winter.

Also on display will be a new acquisition by Yorkshire-born artist Anthony Vandyke Copley Fielding.