The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery first opened in 1885.
It is housed in a Grade II* listed city centre landmark building, which I photographed,
although seemingly it is hard to convey the buildings splendour and is something
that requires experience to comprehend. There are over 40 galleries to explore
that display art, applied art, social history, archaeology and ethnography. The
art gallery is famous for its Pre-Raphaelite paintings, which are part of the
largest public Pre-Raphaelite collection in the world. The gallery has a luxurious air of quality echoed in many of the pieces there displaying a fine quality of artistry reserved for older works and lost as time continues.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s ‘Proserpine’ dated 1874 on the
picture although he worked for seven years on eight separate paintings
depicting the same subject, although this is the only painting to display
Proserpine with red hair. The subject was modelled for by Jane Morris, the wife
of the famed artist William Morris, at the time off the painting Rossetti had a
love, nearing on obsessive, for her, and she was torn between her husband and
newly found lover. The symbolism in Rossetti's painting poignantly shows
Proserpine's plight, and simultaneously Jane Morris', torn between her husband,
and her lover. The pomegranate draws the viewer's eye, the colour of its flesh
matching the colour of Proserpine's lips. The ivy behind her, as Rossetti
stated, represents clinging memory and the passing of time; the shadow on the
wall is her time in Hades, the patch of sunlight, her glimpse of earth. Her
dress, like spilling water, suggests the turning of the tides, and the incense
burner denotes the subject as an immortal. Proserpine's saddened eyes, which
are the same cold blue color as most of the painting, indirectly stare at the
other realm. Overall, dark hues characterise the color scheme of the piece
giving it a very sombre theme.
Christopher Nevinson’s ‘Column on the March’ 1915 Oil on
canvas. He was strongly influenced by the futurism movement which is evident within
the piece, as here he depicts a column of French soldiers as one long
depersonalised, linear war-machine. It emphasises how the fate of the
individual is unimportant, the jagged lines and muted colours display the
mechanical movement of the troops and give a sense of impending violence.
Naum Gabo’s ‘Linear Construction in Space No. 2’ from 1957.
Featuring strong influences of constructivism this abstract kinetic sculpture,
created from nylon and acrylic, reinvents the idea of sculpture from one of
capturing movement to one of creating a sense of fluidity within shape.
John Armstrong's 'Lapping Waters' from 1944, The picture retains a sense of foreboding closely linked to the timeframe of war, in a surreal style.
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