The Barber in London: Highlights from a Remarkable Collection
A selection of exceptional paintings from the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham, will go on view at The Courtauld Gallery for an extended display from May 2025, while the Barber undergoes a major refurbishment project.鈥 The Barber Institute of Fine Arts was founded as a university gallery in 1932, the same year as The Courtauld Institute of Art and its collection. Both were intended to encourage the study and public appreciation of art. Today, the Barber and The Courtauld Gallery are home to two of the finest collections of European art in the country.
Highlights from the collection at the Barber include important works such as Frans Hals鈥檚鈥疨ortrait of a Man Holding a Skull (c. 1610-14), Elisabeth Vig茅e-Lebrun鈥檚鈥疨ortrait of Countess Golovina (1797-1800), Dante Gabriel Rossetti鈥檚鈥疶he Blue Bower (1865), and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec鈥檚鈥疻oman in a Garden (1890). In addition, a鈥痟andful of paintings with strong links to The Courtauld鈥檚 own collection will be embedded in the permanent collection displays, among them鈥Joshua Reynolds鈥檚 monumental double portrait鈥疢aria Marow Gideon and her brother William (1786-87).
Recommended for you
A selection of exceptional paintings from the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham, will go on view at The Courtauld Gallery for an extended display from May 2025, while the Barber undergoes a major refurbishment project.鈥 The Barber Institute of Fine Arts was founded as a university gallery in 1932, the same year as The Courtauld Institute of Art and its collection. Both were intended to encourage the study and public appreciation of art. Today, the Barber and The Courtauld Gallery are home to two of the finest collections of European art in the country.
Highlights from the collection at the Barber include important works such as Frans Hals鈥檚鈥疨ortrait of a Man Holding a Skull (c. 1610-14), Elisabeth Vig茅e-Lebrun鈥檚鈥疨ortrait of Countess Golovina (1797-1800), Dante Gabriel Rossetti鈥檚鈥疶he Blue Bower (1865), and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec鈥檚鈥疻oman in a Garden (1890). In addition, a鈥痟andful of paintings with strong links to The Courtauld鈥檚 own collection will be embedded in the permanent collection displays, among them鈥Joshua Reynolds鈥檚 monumental double portrait鈥疢aria Marow Gideon and her brother William (1786-87).
Related articles
For more from London's art world, sign up for our new (free) newsletter and community: Londonist: Urban Palette.