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BOOK LAUNCH INVITATION – Court on Canvas: Tennis in Art
Thursday 30 June 2011
5.30 – 7 pm
Waterstones, 24-26 High Street, Birmingham
FREE
Our tennis exhibitions have been proving a huge hit with visitors to the gallery. And now you can now take the action home with you, thanks to the publication of the accompanying book, Court on Canvas: Tennis in Art. This sensational 168-page book is to be launched on Thursday 30 June and we would like to invite YOU to join us in celebrating this stunning publication.
The launch takes place at Waterstones, 24-26 High Street, Birmingham, 5.30 – 7 pm and will be hosted by Professor Ann Sumner, editor of the book, curator of Court on Canvas and Director of the Barber Institute. Professor Sumner will relate how the project was conceived and collated, as well as discuss key images from the book. Also in attendance will be co-authors and tennis experts Susan Elks and Robert Holland. All three will be signing copies of the book, which will be available to purchase.
Featuring the work of artists as diverse as Spencer Gore, LS Lowry, Eric Ravilious, Stanley Spencer, EH Shepherd (of Winnie-the-Pooh fame) David Hockney and Tom Philips, Court on Canvas: Tennis in Art offers an illuminating overview of the artistic trends during the last 150 years. Other highlights from the book’s 180 colour plates include The Tennis Party by Sir John Lavery and the iconic Athena ‘Tennis Girl’ poster from the 1970s.
The book also celebrates the origins of tennis in Birmingham and the West Midlands (lawn tennis was pioneered at 8 Ampton Road, Edgbaston), and considers the game’s wider social and historical impact, including the role of women in the sport.
Court on Canvas Exhibition Catalogue available now!
Court on Canvas: Tennis in Art
- Professor Ann Sumner, Professor Kenneth McConkey,
Robert Holland and Sue Elks
176 pages
ISBN-10: 085667706X
ISBN-13: 978-0856677069
The exhibition catalogue for our current blockbuster exhibition is available now from our Shop priced £17.95.
For those unable to visit the Barber Institute in person, we can ship the catalogue to you anywhere in the world. Please call (+44) (0)121 414 7333 for shipping rates and to pay by credit or debit card.
Court on Canvas: Tennis in Art celebrates the origins of the game in Birmingham and explores the ways in which tennis has inspired artists from the mid-19th-century onwards. The book guides us from the origins of the game as a genteel pastime for the upper classes, through its codification as a sport, to the international high-earning power game of today.
It illustrates the changes in fashion associated with the sport and the important role tennis played in the emancipation of women in the early part of the 20th-century.
The book contains a survey of images of tennis in art from the 1870s onwards, and detailed examinations of the works are placed in a wider social, historical and art historical context.
This is a perfect companion to our Court on Canvas: Tennis in Art exhibition (27 May – 18 September 2011) and is currently only available from the Barber Institute of Fine Arts.
Don’t forget to visit our Shop for other exhibition merchandise, including the poster of the famous Athena ‘tennis girl,’ available for the first time in several years.
Court on Canvas:Tennis in Art opened by Former Wimbledon Champion
Ann Jones, Wimbledon Women’s Singles Champion 1969, formally opened the exhibition Court on Canvas: Tennis in Art at the packed private view recently.
Ann, who has been very supportive of the exhibition, cut a specially made cake featuring the exhibition’s signature image, Sir John Lavery’s The Rally, to mark the occasion.
The glittering event was also attended by the niece and nephew of 1930s tennis star Dorothy Round, as well as by the original Athena Tennis Girl, Fiona Walker, Professor David Eastwood, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, and key members of Warwickshire Lawn Tennis Association.
The first exhibition devoted to tennis art includes such iconic works as John Lavery's The Tennis Party, Edith Hayllar's A Summer Shower and Christopher Wood’s Tennis Players.
The related exhibition A Gem of a Game, which traces the roots of lawn tennis in the West Midlands, opened on Friday 27 May with speeches by Professor Michael Whitby, Head of the College of Arts and Law at the University of Birmingham and Michael Burman, of the Henry Barber Trust. A Gem of a Game includes Ann Jones's original dress and cardigan designed by Teddy Tingling, in which she won Wimbledon.
Tennis Girl Launches Court on Canvas
The Barber's forthcoming blockbuster exhibition Court on Canvas:Tennis in Art was launched onto an international stage recently - with a little help from the mystery woman behind the iconic 1970s poster, Tennis Girl.
Fiona Walker agreed to reveal her identity publicly - and allow herself to be photographed by the media for the first time since posing for the poster in 1976 - to help promote the Barber's exciting show at its media launch at auction house Christie's in London.
In front of an audience of reporters and photographers from newspapers and news agencies including the Daily Telegraph, The Guardian,Country Life, The Press Association and Agence France-Presse, Fiona, 52, said she had no regrets about posing for the photograph, shot by her boyfriend of the time, Martin Elliott, on tennis courts at the University of Birmingham one September afternoon. Never a tennis player herself, Fiona - then Fiona Butler - had to borrow the dress from a friend of a friend, and wore her father's plimsolls. Even the tennis balls belonged to her dog!
'It never ceases to make me smile when I see it,' said Fiona, a mother of three who works as an illustrator, and was an visual communications student at the time of the original photo-shoot. 'My children have told their friends that I am the girl in the poster, but often people don't believe it.'
Asked if she could explain the popularity of the poster, which sold more than 2 million copies worldwide and became one of the most recognisable, reproduced and satirised images of the 20th century, Fiona said: 'I think it is the light that makes it so appealing.'
Coverage of the launch was featured in almost every UK national newspaper, and around the world from France, Holland and Italy to Australia, the USA and even Tiokyo and Uruguay.
Read more about the exhibition here
UK FILM PREMIERE
In the Footsteps of the Argonauts
Monday June 13, 5.15 pm
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts
FREE
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is to host the UK premiere of In the Footsteps of the Argonauts, a powerful historical documentary that follows the fortunes of the Greeks living on the Black Sea, with particular emphasis on the City of Trebizond. Trebizond (Trabzon in modern Turkey) was not only the longest surviving of the Byzantine successor states, but also a symbol of the Greek communities which have lived and thrived on the shores of the Black Sea since the 8th century BC.
If you would like to attend the premiere, please RSVP to coins@barber.org.uk or call Ben Goodwin on 0121 414 6993 to reserve your place.
Trebizond was once the capital city of the Greeks of Eastern Pontus, a region on the southern coast of the Black Sea, located in modern-day north-eastern Turkey. The city has been the crossroads of civilisations that witnessed the development of Greek culture for almost 3,000 years; a historical trajectory which was indelibly marked by the destruction and expulsion of part of its populations at the dawn of the 20th century.
Guided by renowned Greek actor Kostas Arzoglou, (himself a descendant of the area), as well as with the help of an international team of experts from Greece, Cyprus and the UK, In the Footsteps of the Argonauts is the first systematic effort to audio-visually record the memory, tradition and history of the Eastern Pontus. The University of Birmingham was one such contributor, when back in 2009 Professor Anthony Bryer OBE (Emeritus Professor of Byzantine Studies and Founding Director of the Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies) and Dr Eurydice Georganteli (Barber Institute of Fine Arts and Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies) were interviewed for the documentary. The Barber Institute’s collection of Trapezuntine coins were also filmed and appear in In the Footsteps of the Argonauts.
The roots of the Greek presence on the Black Sea (known as the Pontus) disappear in the mist of myth; the journey of Jason and the Argonauts to Colchis, the Amazons, the exile of Prometheus to Caucasus, the confrontation of Heracles with the Stymphalian Birds in ancient Aretiada and the wandering of Orestes in Tonya. Mythology aside, the Greeks began to spread around the Black Sea and in approximately 302 BC the Kingdom of Pontus was established. In 1204 AD we see the establishment of the Empire of Trebizond and advancements in trade, arts and sciences paved the way for a golden era for the people of Pontus.
The Empire of Trebizond was annexed by the Ottomans in 1461 and the Greeks who remained were relocated outside the city walls. The former inhabitants of Trebizond moved towards Matsuka, where three monasteries harboured them. With his camera, the film’s Director, Alexis Barzos, followed on the inaccessible tracks of the pilgrims towards St. John of Vazelon, built in 270 AD and considered the most ancient monastery in Pontus.
A change of fortunes allowed an emerging Greek middle class to play a prominent role in the economic activities on the Eastern Black Sea in the 19th century. However, the dawn of the 20th century was marked by the great persecution and expulsion of Christian populations in the region. As a result, the Greek population of Pontus was uprooted and, today, the only witness of its centuries-long presence are the remains of the monumental civilisation it created.
Since December 2010, In the Footsteps of the Argonauts has been shown in Greece, Canada, Germany and Italy – to critical acclaim. Now, for the first time, the English version will be launched at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. Bruce Clark (The Economist), award-winning author of Twice a Stranger (2006) and An Empire's New Clothes: The End of Russia's Liberal Dream (1995), will be opening the Birmingham event.
Discussing the people of Trebizond, Bruce Clark writes in Twice a Stranger: ‘Because of its location, far from the main centres of Hellenism, the Greek population in the area has always formed a world apart; a world which had to find its own way of co-existing with other peoples, armies and rulers with a stake in this region.’
Prior to the launch (3 – 5 pm) guests will be able to participate in handling sessions of coins of Trebizond and those from its Christian and Muslim neighbours. Postgraduates from the Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies (part of the University of Birmingham’s Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity) will be on-hand to answer questions.
The screening will be followed by drinks and canapés.
Eurydice Georganteli said: ‘At the Barber Institute of Fine Arts we are the fortunate custodians of a magnificent collection of Trapezuntine coins; the very ones that star in In the Footsteps of the Argonauts. Certainly, the story of Trebizond and its fortunes relates to everyone interested in deciphering the past in order to understand the future. Do join us for what promises to be a great evening.’
New Acquisition 
John Brett’s
Warwick Castle
Our most recent acquisition for the gallery is a small but enchanting watercolour sketch Study of Warwick Castle (1860) by John Brett. Along with an earlier sketch, these are the only surviving tantalising glimpses of a now lost, large oil painting of the subject.
This work enriches the Barber’s growing collection of ‘on the spot’ landscape sketches – a selection of which also feature in the display – and it provides a nice contrast to more ‘finished’ works on paper by artists such as Turner and Whistler, also included here.
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. The recent acquisition was purchased as a direct results of our previous exhibition in 2010 – Objects of Affection: Pre-Raphaelite Portraits by John Brett, co-curated by Ann Sumner, Director of the Barber Institute, and Christiana Payne of Oxford Brookes University.
Study of Warwick Castle shows the south façade of the castle with children in a punt picking lilies in the River Avon. Brett inscribed the watercolour with the romantic title, ‘The White Waterlily’.
Fine Bassano Portrait is New Loan
for the Barber Institute
A rare portrait of a military hero, by the Renaissance artist Jacopo Bassano, is now on display at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. This comes to the Barber thanks to a generous loan courtesy of the London fine art dealers and agents Robilant + Voena.
A Portrait of a Man in Armour, painted in oils on canvas in around 1560, is the second work by the artist Jacopo da Ponte (known as Bassano after the town in Northern Italy where he was born) to hang in the gallery. Bassano is best known today by his colourful genre and religious scenes, as exemplified by his wonderful Adoration of the Magi, also painted in around 1560, which is on permanent display in the Barber’s Renaissance gallery. However, as an early biographer claimed, the Venetian School artist was ‘no less known for his portraits,’ as one might expect from such a master of naturalistic detail.
The three-quarter-length portrait shows an unknown man in full body armour, depicted in a simple interior of classical architecture. Gazing over his left shoulder, the sitter’s left hand rests elegantly on his hip, while in his right hand he holds a partisan, a ceremonial spear traditionally used by those who formed the guard of honour of princes. Painted with a restrained palette, the glints and reflections of the soldier’s armour shows Bassano’s characteristic mastery of texture and material.
Robert Wenley, Head of Collections & Learning at the Barber said: ‘This work is an outstanding example of Bassano’s portraiture and is worthy of being hung amongst our exquisite permanent collection. As well as complimenting our own Bassano, it is also comparable to the Barber’s three-quarter-length portrait of similar date and origin, A Portrait of a Young Man, painted by Bassano’s Venetian contemporary Jacopo Tintoretto.
The Barber is very grateful to Robilant + Voena for the loan of A Portrait of a Man in Armour and we are sure this painting will be a major attraction for visitors over the next two years.’
A Portrait of a Man in Armour will be on display in the Barber’s Renaissance gallery until September 2012.
For further information or images, or to arrange an interview with Robert Wenley, contact Barber Press and Marketing Officer Andrew Davies on 0121 414 2946/07769 958114 or email:andrewdavies@barber.org.ukVisitor Survey Prize Draw Winners Announced
We are pleased to announce the four winners of our quarterly Visitor Survey Prize Draw,
which ran between March 2009 and March 2010.
The four winners are:
Charles Weston (for the quarter March – June 2009)
Fay Maxwell (for the quarter July – end of September 2009)
Aisling Bradley (for the quarter October – end of December 2009)
Mrs. Florian Barker (for the quarter January – March 2010)
Many congratulations to the four winners, who each receive a cheque for £25.
The Barber is also running a prize draw for the duration of the exhibition Objects of Affection: Pre-Raphaelite Portraits by John Brett. Call in and see the show between now and Sunday 4 July, then fill in your questionnaire to be in with a chance of winning £25.
Pastel Portrait is New Acquisition for the Barber Institute
A stunning 18th-century pastel portrait by the Venetian artist Rosalba Carriera has been unveiled at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts– the first major acquisition to be made under the directorship of Professor Ann Sumner. The purchase comes after a successful £525,000 fundraising campaign.
Portrait of Gustavus Hamilton, 2nd Viscount Boyne, painted in about 1731/32 is only the third major work by a woman artist to enter the Barber collection – alongside paintings by the late 18th-century French portraitist, Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, and the early 20th-century British artist, Gwen John. More…
Facelift for Statue of King George on Horseback
The monumental bronze equestrian statue of King George I that stands in front of the Barber Institute, at the East Gate and next to Edgbaston Park Road, has just undergone a major cleaning and conservation programme. Scaffolding towers were erected on either side for a week, and the sculpture and its sandstone plinth have now been jet-washed. More…
Concert Hall Refurbishment: Summer 2008
The Barber Concert Hall will close at the end of the summer term for Phase 1 of a long-awaited and much-needed refurbishment. The work will begin immediately after the end of term and be finished by the autumn. The seats will be reupholstered, the ceiling repaired and redecorated and the floor resanded and resealed; in addition, the back wall of the stage will be clothed in a new curtain, for which funding has kindly been donated by the Friends of the Barber Institute. If you would like to support the refurbishment project by making a personal donation, please contact David King in the University’s Development office on 0121 414 6220 or D.J.King@bham.ac.uk.
Colin Timms, Peyton and Barber Professor of Music
Top Award for the Barber’s Education Team
The education team at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts has been presented with a prestigious national award recognizing the quality of its activities.
The University of Birmingham-based gallery has been given the Sandford Award for Heritage Education — and the award has now been presented to Education Officer Brian Scholes during a visit by Sandford Award Chief Executive Gareth Fitzpatrick in March.
The commendation places the Barber alongside top national institutions including Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London and Dulwich Picture Gallery, as well as regional museums such as Aston Hall, Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings and the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter that also hold the award.