Exhibitions | Objects of Affection
30 April – 4 July 2010
Beige Gallery
Objects of Affection:
Pre-Raphaelite Portraits by John Brett
John Brett is best-known for his early Pre-Raphaelite paintings, The Stonebreaker and Val d’Aosta, and his late seascapes of the coast of Scotland, Wales and the West Country. This exhibition concentrates on a little-known aspect of his art — his portraiture. The great Victorian art critic John Ruskin, who for a period was his mentor, discouraged him from figure painting, and his portraits, often intimate depictions of his family, friends and lovers, have remained relatively obscure. This groundbreaking exhibition, based on much new research, celebrates his charming, individual portrait style. It features key loans from the British Museum, National Portrait Gallery and Tate Britain, and also brings to the public for the first time many works from private collections, as well as a selection of Brett’s portrait photography — Brett was a pioneer in the medium. It explores some key family and patron relationships, and also features archival material, while Brett’s specific relationship with Birmingham will also be examined. He had many important patrons here, among whom his coastal landscapes — some of which are exhibited here — were particularly popular. He also regularly exhibited at the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, and delivered a controversial lecture on Art and Education in the city in 1890.
Co-curated by Ann Sumner, Director of the Barber Institute, and Christiana Payne of Oxford Brookes University, the exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue and a series of lectures, gallery talks and other connected events.