Holburne Museum of Art
Coordinates: 51°23′08″N 2°21′04″W / 51.38566°N 2.35110°W
| Holburne Museum of Art | |
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 Location within Somerset and the United Kingdom
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| Established | 1882 |
| Location | Bath, Somerset |
| Director | Alexander Sturgis |
| Website | Museum Web site |
The Holburne Museum of Art (formerly known as the Holburne of Menstrie Museum) is in Sydney Pleasure Gardens, Sydney Place, in the Bathwick area of Bath, Somerset, England. The Grade I listed building closes off the vista down Great Pulteney Street from Pulteney Bridge.[1] Admission is free, though the temporary exhibitions held throughout the year may not be.
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[edit] Building
The building was designed by Charles Harcourt Masters and built in Bath stone in 1795–6 to be the Sydney Hotel - a social gathering place rather than a residential hotel in the modern sense. During the course of the nineteenth century the building went through a number of changes of use, as well as structural alterations, until in the early years of this century (1913–16) it was converted by the architect Sir Reginald Blomfield to become the present home of the Holburne Museum. An extension in contemporary style has recently been added.
[edit] Collection
The collection has a strong selection of English 18th century portraits, including five by Thomas Gainsborough, who spent 16 years working in Bath before moving to London. There are several, some by Johann Zoffany, with theatrical connections, including scenes recording moments from plays. The collection was based on that of Sir (Thomas) William Holburne, (1793-1874), and his family, and numbered about 4,000 objects by the time it was bequeathed to the people of Bath by his sister in 1882. It was first opened to the public in 1893, since when a further 2,500 objects have been added to the collection,[2] which includes silver, Old Master paintings, Italian bronzes such as the Susioni once owned by king Louis XIV, maiolica, porcelain, glass, furniture and portrait miniatures. These have been added to with examples of landscapes by Francesco Guardi and J. M. W. Turner, and portraits by George Stubbs, Allan Ramsay, George Romney and others. The museum also owns portraits by modern artists such as David Fisher, who won the Museum's 2008 competition for a commissioned portrait.[3]
The Holburne is the official museum of the University of Bath,[4] though it has also engaged in collaboration with nearby University of Bristol.[5]
[edit] Sydney College, Bath
For a relatively short period, the building housed Sydney College, a school set up to rival Clifton College for its education standards. Primarily aimed at those who could afford to board their sons, the school had some success and produced a number of notable alumni. Sydney College provided the opposition to Clifton College in the latter's first ever rugby match.[6]
[edit] Notable alumni of Sydney College, Bath
- Edward Fortescue Wright, cricketer
- Lennard Stokes, rugby union international and former captain of England
- Eugene William Oates, English naturalist[7]
[edit] References
- ^ "Holburne of Menstrie Museum". Images of England. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=443742. Retrieved 2007-10-27.
- ^ Collection history, Museum website
- ^ http://www.chapelrowgallery.co.uk/theholburneportr.html
- ^ "Internal news 19 January 2006". http://www.bath.ac.uk/news/articles/campus/holburne-royal190106.html. Retrieved 2011-03-30.
- ^ "Bristol University, History of Art, MA Curating Units". http://www.bristol.ac.uk/arthistory/prospective-postgraduates/ma/macurating.html#holburne. Retrieved 2011-05-04.
- ^ Clifton RFC history
- ^ Anon. (1912). "Obituary: Eugene William Oates". Ibis 54 (2): 342. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.1912.tb05299.x.
