Above: The Barber Institute of Fine Art ©Graham Young / Birmingham Live
Situated in the centre of the campus of University of Birmingham is a gem of a museum that holds a significant collection of art from the Renaissance through to the modern greats. It has to be asked, how many art establishments do you generally find at the heart of a university? Without question, this is a beautiful place to visit.
To reach the gallery, take a train from Birmingham New Street station to University and then it’s a winding walk through the historic campus of the University of Birmingham, passing on the way the magnificent statue of Sir Michael Faraday by Eduardo Paolozzi, until you reach a leafy area where the Barber stands proud amongst the university buildings and opposite a statue of George I.
Built in the 1930s and opened by Queen Mary in 1939, this art deco building, designed by the British architect, Robert Atkinson, oozes class from the moment you walk up the steps to the original door.
When you push open the art deco front door, you are met with the long hall that leads to the far end staircase to the galleries. The building itself wraps around the concert hall and the doors to the auditorium are on your left with a plaque and portrait of Lady Barber in pride of place. The floor, door surrounds and the curved staircase to the first floor are of Travertine and the coolness of the material gives an elegant feel to the experience.
The Barber was founded by Lady Martha Barber in memory of her husband, Sir Henry Barber who made his fortune in property development in Birmingham. After his death, Lady Barber decided to make a contribution to the art of the city of Birmingham and, in 1932, she bequeathed a substantial sum to the University of Birmingham ‘for the study and encouragement of art and music’. When Lady Barber died four months later, she left her assets to the gallery’s trustees and instructions that funds should be used to purchase works worthy of being in the National Gallery and for the building of a gallery in her name.
Atkinson took encouragement from other establishments, such as the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge and Boijmanns in Rotterdam and, along with the founding director, Thomas Bodkin, set about bringing Lady Barber’s wishes to fruition in a building of Darley Dale stone and variegated brick. The facades hold four carved panels of motifs showing a laurel branch, a palm leaf, a torch and a lyre symbolising the arts, merit, education and music.
On the Heritage Gateway website, they give the reasons that this became a Grade II listed building:
The auditorium is entered through Australian walnut doors that continue the Greek key motif that we see on the outer walls of the building and on the panels that cover the proscenium of the stage. Here, concerts, lectures and performances take place at lunchtimes, evenings and weekends. While it is currently closed for repairs, visiting for a music recital or to listen to an art lecture is something to put on the to-do list.
But what about the art? That is why we are here, after all.
There are three galleries filled with paintings, sculptures, works on paper and the collection also includes decorative arts and coins. The permanent collection is enhanced by small but exciting exhibitions. One of my favourites from 2014 was the Rebel Visions: The War Art of CRW Nevinson. Recently, they had an exhibition of Peasants and Proverbs: Pieter Brueghel the Younger as Moralist and Entrepreneur. They certainly know how to capture our attention with such interesting displays.
But the permanent collection is why you should visit, and in no particular order, here are my top five works to be seen here:
This beautiful Magritte was the first painting I saw at the Barber and I was staggered that I could find something this exquisite in Birmingham when I had been used to reading that all the major museums in the world hold Magritte’s work.
Without question, this is a painting that deserves your attention. When you are faced with Rachel raising her finger to us as if to say “hush”, you cannot fail to believe that you are part of this scene of deception.
The reason I love this so much is purely the cheeky stance that Alexander the Great holds here. This is a man who knows his epithet will be there for all time. Please, stop by this work when you visit and give him a knowing nod!
Now this is a small painting and at first you wonder what she is doing and then you read the caption. This intimate scene is overlooked by two youngsters who really should not be spying in this fashion, but Crespi makes the scene humorous and adds touches such as the water pitcher in the table in which to drown the fleas.
Without question, The Blue Bower is the jewel in the Barber’s crown! Birmingham has a strong history with the Pre-Raphaelite artists and this stunning portrait with Fanny Cornforth as the model is unbelievably beautiful to behold.
With the Barber Institute of Fine Art we have a gallery that is free to enter and is totally worth the journey out of the city centre to spend a quiet hour or two in a building that is as beautiful as the art itself.
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham B15 2TS
United Kingdom
OPENING HOURS
The Barber's galleries are open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10am – 5pm. (Closed Mondays, including bank holidays).
FREE ADMISSION
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Wendy is based in the UK and is an English teacher but with industrial tendencies and a particular love of the ‘isms’ that formed in the 1910s! She writes her own art blog: Travels with my Art: exploring art: one gallery, one artist, one country at a time!