Gallery
The Gallery at Monnow Valley Arts is housed in the old barn and consists of two spaces: a double height large gallery and a more intimate smaller gallery ideally suited for the display of prints and small sculpture.
In the past four seasons, we have held exhibitions with a diverse feel and character, to which the space seems to adapt itself beautifully.
Height points were exhibitions of the work of David Jones, Cecil Collins, Eric Gill and British Studio Pottery. These exhibitions were drawn from important private collections. We like to curate exhibitions from private collections, as this gives the visitor, the opportunity to see great works of art that will otherwise not be accessible to the public. We are very greatful to the collectors for making these exhibitions possible.
Exhibitions are generally accompanied by an extensive catalogue. Catalogues accompanying previous exhibitions are available to buy in our shop
Gallery News
The gallery is closed for the winter season, but the exhibition Images of Power - From the Jerffery Archer Political Cartoon Collection is still open by appointment until December, so please call if you have missed it and want to come and see it: 01873 860 529.
Current exhibition:
Images of Power - From the Jerffery Archer Political Cartoon Collection.
By appointment: 01873 860 529
Lord Archer has been keenly collecting political cartoons for 25 years and putting together a collection of political cartoons with his close friend, the specialist art dealer, Chris Beetles. This is the first time that any part of the collection has been shown in public.
Jeffrey Archer has topped the bestseller lists around the world with fifteen novels and six collections of short stories. He has served five years in the House of Commons, and eighteen in the House of Lords.
He has been an art collector for over forty years, and is an amateur auctioneer, conducting around 30 charity auctions a year. The theme of the cartoon collection, which spans three centuries from Rowlandson and Gillray to Gerald Scarfe and Peter Brookes, is Images of
Power.
The collection has never been seen in public before and we are delighted to be able to present it for the first time to the public. The works on display will be an amusing and satirical look at political life through the ages. All major political cartoonists are represented including Gillray, Rowlandson, Sir David Low, Ernest Shepherd, Max Beerbohm, Gerald Scarfe, Peter Brookes, Sir John Tenniel, Trog, Michael Cummings and Ralph Steadman, and consists of about 50 works.
Mainly based around British and American politics, the collection features cartoons of Churchill, Macmillan, Kennedy, Reagan, Nixon, Heath, Major, Blair and Thatcher as well as more historical figures.
Cartoons have always appealed to the British public. Cartoonists both respond to the prevailing mood of the public and create a mood often by distorting the features of the politician. The collection gives us valuable insights into how over the three centuries covered by the collection, cartoon imagery has changed to reflect the relationship the public has with
politicians, the way propaganda is disseminated and the effect television and new communication networks have on our perception of politics.
The collection is one of the finest in private hands. Chris Beetles of the Chris Beetles Gallery in London has curated the exhibition and is in the process of
cataloguing all the works. Once this has been achieved it is expected to become available for loan to other venues.
The trustees would like to express their thanks to
Lord Archer for providing the loan of his
collection and to Chris Beetles and his staff at his
gallery for arranging the exhibition
FUTURE EXHIBITIONS
Previous Exhibitions:
David Prentice: 75th Birthday Celebration
2 July - 28 August 2011
In association with John Davies Gallery, Moreton in Marsh.
David Prentice was born in 1936 and has lived for many years on the Malvern HIlls. He has taken inspiration for his paintings from the landscape in Herefordshire and Worcestershire. In recent years he has also worked on London City prespectives. He has a vast following and is one of Britain's foremost contemporary painters. This exhibition celebrates David's 75th birthday with a selection of recent landscapes and cityscape paintings and prints.
The Romantic Landscape in Wales:
Paintings, watercolours and prints by John Piper (1903–1992), Graham Sutherland (1903–1980) and Ralph Maynard Smith (1904–1964).
A free PDF of the catalogue is available here: Romantic Landscape in Wales Catalogue
In conjunction with The Ralph Maynard Smith Trust, Wolseley Fine Arts and private lenders who prefer to remain anonymous.
In association with Wolseley Fine Arts: PRINTS 2011 and Selected Drawings: works by Edward Ardizzone, Edgar Holloway, David Jones, John Piper, Graham Sutherland, Samuel Palmer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Leon Underwood, Reg Boulton, John Buckland Wright, Edward Gordon Craig, Albert garrett, Eric Gill, Dennis Tegetmeier and Sir Kyffin Williams. 2 - 14 April. Opening times: Thursday & Friday 11 am - 5 pm, Saturday & Sunday 2 - 5 pm.
Wolseley Fine Arts will be exhibiting works by Monnow Valley artist Reg Boulton at the London Original Print Fair at the Royal Academy, London from 18 - 21 April.
Exhibitions in the gallery for 2011:
2 July - 28 August: Landscape Paintings of Herefordshire and the Malverns by David Prentice, a 75th birthday celebration.
3 September - 30 October: Political Cartoons - The Jeffrey Archer Collection
