Manchester Art Gallery is best known for its important, representative collection of work by nineteenth-century British artists, particularly the Pre-Raphaelites. This is a reflection of its history: the nucleus of the collection came from the Royal Manchester Institution which showed a preference for acquiring contemporary art that continued when it became the City Art Gallery in 1883. The Bradford collector, Charles Rutherston, presented his modern art collection to the Gallery in 1925 and significant contemporary works were acquired during both World Wars, resulting in one of the most important war art collections outside London. Since 1945, the holdings of eighteenth century British art have been strengthened with the purchase of paintings by, amongst others, Thomas Gainsborough, Joshua Reynolds and George Stubbs. In 1979, the European Old Masters collection was transformed by the Assheton Bennett bequest of almost a hundred paintings, mainly by seventeenth-century Dutch and Flemish artists. Today the collection includes over 2,000 oil paintings, plus related studies and archival material, and there is a renewed focus on collecting contemporary art.

Manchester Art Gallery is an Art UK Founder Partner

Manchester Art Gallery

Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester M2 3JL England

0161 235 8888

http://www.manchesterartgallery.org

Please remember to double-check the opening hours with the venue concerned before making a special visit

mcrartgallery

19 September 2020

Can you help? We're seeking an experienced evaluator to be a critical friend to help us look at what we have done, assess what we have learned, recognise what we've missed, and plan the next stage of the Platt Hall In-between R&D project. Full details: https://t.co/68DxFZBkxd https://t.co/znCTF3TV5C