Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery breathes new life into well-loved pieces from their collection, in Victorian Radicals, which opens in The Gas Hall from Saturday 10 February.

The exhibition celebrates three generations of radical artists, designers and makers working from the Pre-Raphaelite to the Arts and Craft movement, and shines a light on previously unsung creators from the time.

Their styles evolved in the shadow of the first industrial revolution, as artists chose to celebrate the value of beauty and handmade items in the face of a changing world. The exhibition contains many iconic paintings from the City of Birmingham’s collection, but they are interspersed with books, stained glass, jewellery, clothing, and household items, to expand the focus and explore a wider repertoire.

The exhibition was assembled for a well received tour of the USA, which started in October 2018, while Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery was undergoing renovations - it will reopen in full this summer. The exhibition was curated to promote Birmingham’s collection, and celebrate the people who were creating artwork in the region at that time - also allowing the opportunity to restore and enhance the pieces. Many of the works on display are well-known to previous visitors to the gallery, but there is a noticeable difference - the colours are more vibrant, and the detail clearer. 

Items in the gallery have been carefully arranged to give them space to shine, as unique pieces. Many of the hand-crafted items such as coffee sets, glassware or the ‘skeleton clock’, designed without a case, to showcase its mechanism, were previously displayed with many other items in the industrial gallery - the exhibition allows them a moment in the spotlight.

Many of the pieces are credited to multiple makers - after all, in the creation of beautiful tiles, fabric, woodcuts or jewellery, the expertise of the craftsperson is at least as important as the designer. This also brings female makers into the foreground - a stunning, intricate bedspread made by Mary Newill (excerpt pictured) is given the same prestige as well-known master paintings.

In the final room of the gallery, the focus is turned to the future. Works from contemporary artists that have been inspired by the collection are placed side by side with their counterparts, with a view to telling their ongoing story.

The whole museum is due to open its doors again this summer, but in the meantime, Victorian Radicals at The Gas Hall offers a fascinating journey through an exquisite collection. Don't miss the chance to see these stunning works in a new light.