York Art Gallery
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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York Art Gallery in York, North Yorkshire, England is a public art gallery with a collection of paintings, from 14th century to contemporary, and 20th century ceramics. It is managed by York Museums Trust, along with York Castle Museum and the Yorkshire museum and gardens.
The building was built for the second Yorkshire Fine Art and Industrial Exhibition in 1879, and it became the City Art Gallery in 1892. The main gallery was refurbished in 2005, and is used for special and visiting exhibitions. The building is Grade II listed and overlooks Exhibition Square, which has a 1911 statue of William Etty at its centre.
It is said (Fisher, ISBN 071399575, p.413) to have been founded with a bequest from John Burton, a local businessman. Burton's taste was for 19th-century painters such as Frederick Daniel Hardy. The gallery also inherited "Bustos and Images" from Kirkleatham Museum.
The same author says that "the story of York Art Gallery under Hess, Ingemells and Green is proof that given high standards of scholarship, a love for good painting and curators who have confidence in their judgement, a gallery can prosper. At York the priorities have been right. The gallery glows with the idiosyncratic excellence of the paintings on its walls".
Since 1911 the gallery has been collecting works by York-born painter William Etty.
The right wing (when facing) is home to the York City Archives.
Curators and Directors
- 1947-1967 Hans Hess (museologist)
- 1967-1977: John Ingamells
- 1977-2002: Richard Green
- 200?-200?: Caroline Worthington
