14 January 2010
Changing face of the capital revealed at Guildhall Art
Gallery
London’s development from the seventeenth-century to the present
day provides the focus of a new exhibition at Guildhall Art Gallery
in the heart of the ‘Square Mile’.
London Paintings from the City’s Permanent Collection, which
opens on Wednesday 10 February, draws upon the City of London
Corporation’s extensive collection of paintings of London, the
first of which were presented by Alderman John Boydell, who was
Lord Mayor of the City of London from 1790 to 1791.
Over the years, the City Corporation has collected a wide range
of images and from 1946, Guildhall Art Gallery has concentrated on
purchasing images of the capital. The exhibition will feature many
well-known views of the City’s skyline, including the distinctive
dome of St Paul’s Cathedral and panoramas of the River Thames and
its bridges, as well as civic events, such as the opening
ceremonies of major new buildings.
Jeremy Johnson, Principal Curator and Gallery Manager, says: “To
this day, London continues to grow outwards and upwards, and this
new exhibition will present a colourful and evocative record of how
the capital and its people have changed so dramatically since the
1700s. As well as celebratory events, such as the annual Lord
Mayor’s Show, we have included several examples that chronicle
dramatic episodes in London’s history, such as the Great Fire of
London and the devastating bomb damage of World War II.”
London Paintings from the City’s Permanent Collection runs from
Wednesday 10 February to Sunday 11 April 2010 in the Lower Ground
Floor of Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman Amphitheatre. Admission to
this exhibition is free on purchase of a general admission ticket
(£2.50 for adults, concessions £1) to the Art Gallery. Entry is
free of charge to City workers and residents, as well as all day on
Fridays and from 3.30pm on other days.
Ends
Notes for editors
About Guildhall Art Gallery:
Guildhall Art Gallery was opened by HM The Queen in 1999.
Situated opposite the medieval Guildhall, the Gallery opened to the
public in 1886 but was virtually destroyed in an air raid in 1941.
Fortunately, most of its collections had been safely removed to
storage in the country. In the mid-1980s, the Gallery’s
rebuilding was delayed by several factors, in particular, the
unexpected discovery on the site of the remains of London’s Roman
Amphitheatre. The Gallery was redesigned in a way that preserved
the remains at their original level, and the Gallery’s public
display areas constructed above them, with its storage areas
beneath. As well as stepping back in time within the Roman
Amphitheatre, today’s visitors to Guildhall Art Gallery will find
portraits of London and Londoners spanning more than 400 years; an
extensive collection of Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite paintings,
including works by Constable, Tissot, Millais and Rossetti; and one
of the UK’s largest paintings, John Singleton Copley’s monumental
Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar,
1782.
About the City of London Corporation:
The City of London Corporation is a uniquely diverse organisation.
It supports and promotes the City as the world leader in
international finance and business services and provides local
services and policing for those working in, living in and visiting
the Square Mile. It also provides valued services to London and the
nation. These include the Barbican Centre and the Guildhall School
of Music & Drama; the Guildhall Library and Art Gallery and
London Metropolitan Archive; a range of education provision
(including three City Academies); five Thames bridges (including
Tower Bridge and the Millennium Bridge); the Central Criminal Court
at Old Bailey; over 10,000 acres of open spaces (including
Hampstead Heath and Epping Forest), and three wholesale food
markets. It is also London’s Port Health Authority and runs the
Animal Reception Centre at Heathrow. It works in partnership with
neighbouring boroughs on the regeneration of surrounding areas and
the City Bridge Trust, which it oversees, donates more than £15m to
charity annually.
Press enquiries
Andrew Buckingham, Press Officer, City of London
Corporation
Tel: 020 7332 1452 / Mobile: 07795 333 060
Email:
andrew.buckingham@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Journalists and photographers wishing to attend the Press View
on Tuesday 9 February from 10.00am - 12.00noon are asked to contact
Andrew Buckingham at the City of London Press Office.
London Paintings from the City’s Permanent Collection
Wednesday 10 February - Sunday 11 April 2010
Guildhall Art Gallery, Guildhall Yard, London EC2V 5AE
Mon – Sat 10.00am – 5.00pm; Sun 12.00noon – 4.00pm
www.guildhall-art-gallery.org.uk