Showcasing the finest historic and contemporary castle artists and combining history with art, Capture the Castle: British Artists and the Castle from Turner to Le Brun at Southampton City Art Gallery is the first ever large-scale art exhibition on the subject of British castles. It conjures the mystique, excitement and prestige of the castle from Iron Age hill forts to Victorian reproductions and fantasy castles. It will include famous and rarely seen works from public and private collections, including loans from Tate, The British Museum, V&A, the Government Art Collection and from the collections of major artists.
Turner, Girtin, Cotman, Ibbetson, Sandby, Varley and many others travelled to castles throughout Britain in the search of the Picturesque. Castles, often sited in spectacular locations, were the perfect subject for the Romantic movement of the early 19th century that embraced the heroic past. Castles have been equally inspiring to modern-day artists and the exhibition includes work by over 25 contemporary artists including Christopher Le Brun (President of the Royal Academy of Arts), Alan Rankle, Norman Ackroyd RA, Alan Lee and David Gentleman.
The exhibition will include a fully illustrated catalogue, which has been generously sponsored by the Punter Southall Group, and runs from 26 May – 2 September 2017. Keep up to date with all events at the gallery by visiting the new website at southamptoncityartgallery.com.
