Friends' Trip to Victoria Art Gallery

After their visit to Swindon MAG last year, the Friends of Victoria Art Gallery very kindly invited us over for a guided tour of the stores, the galleries and for a meal afterwards. We had a fascinating time in the stores where we learnt there are 10000 watercolours, 250 miniatures and lots of oil paintings.
I didn't take many notes, but will show some of the photos I took.

 Above in the stores with Chair of the Friends, Michael Rowe talking about what's in the collection.

 Below a panda by Clifford Ellis

 and here is Michael talking about the watercolours I think

 He talked about the fantastic record paintings of Bath give us; this one of Pulteney Bridge shows what it was like some years ago.

 And this watercolour was held up and provided an example of what can happen when works are lent out. This watercolour was substituted for a print while on loan.

 And some of the drawings give very useful information about life in Bath 200 years ago.

 There is an excellent collection of Eltonware from Sir Edmund Elton who worked at Clevedon Court where much of his work can still be seen.

 Here's an example of a ceramic piece by James Tower, there were others.

 From there stores, we went to the first floor where we had afternoon tea and delicious lemon drizzle and chocolate brownies, and from tehre we went to watch the fantastic Sharmanka Travelling Circus it's at the Victoria Art Gallery until 6 May, and well worth a visit.

 From the travelling circus, we went upstairs to the main gallery and were given a talk about Nicholas Poussin's 'The Triumph of Pan', on loan from the National Gallery until 7 July when as part of the Masterpiece tour, it moves on.

 We were in the gallery when Jon Benington, Manager of the Victoria Art Gallery brought in a donated work on paper by Christopher Nevinson

 I love this view of the canal bridge by Nash

 and 'The Pink Chair'

 'The Sketchers' painted in 1930 by Algernon Talmage

 and there's something about this Howard Hodgkin painting, painted when he was 18.

For more paintings in the permanent collection, click here.
I hope the whistle stop tour of the afternoon gives an idea of what a fabulous time we had thanks to the generosity of the Friends of Victoria Art Gallery.