Masterpiece artwork to be displayed at Kirkby Gallery

In just under three weeks’ time two incredible art collections come together for one unique exhibition at Kirkby Gallery.

From Monday 10 October – Saturday 17 December the gallery presents The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour and Making an Impression: Prints by Manet, Pissarro and their Contemporaries.

This collaboration brings 35 artworks to Knowsley by internationally renowned Impressionist artists including Cézanne, Degas, and Renoir – that can be viewed for free.

Felix Vallotton The Shower 1894 © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour presents Hélène Rouart in her Father’s Study, 1886 a large-scale oil painting by French Impressionist, Degas and one of the most important paintings in the National Gallery’s collection. Kirkby Gallery is one of only three venues in the UK to display the work in this exhibition sponsored by Christie’s.

Alongside the Degas painting is the touring exhibition, Making an Impression which presents 34 prints by internationally recognised artists including Mary Cassatt, Paul Cézanne, Édouard Manet, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, Lucien Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

Cllr Shelley Powell, Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods said:

“This is Kirkby Gallery’s most ambitious exhibition to date and will never be seen anywhere else. The works featured are by some of the world’s most famous artists and residents will have the opportunity to view them on their doorstep, and completely free of charge.

“We are incredibly proud to bring this exhibition to Knowsley during our year as Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture particularly as it represents one of the final elements of our programme for the year and it certainly ends our year on a high.”

A MASTERPIECE IN KIRKBY

Degas’s monumental work, Hélène Rouart in her Father’s Study, will take centre stage in Kirkby Gallery and offers an intriguing domestic scene to visitors. Its display will give people the opportunity to explore ideas around portraiture, identity and the role of women in art. It also reveals the fascinating connections between Degas and the featured Impressionists, examining their artistic practice and relationships – both personal and professional.

Mary Cassatt Miss Lydia at Afternoon Tea 1882 © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

MAKING AN IMPRESSION IN KNOWSLEY

Making an Impression: Prints by Manet, Pissarro and their Contemporaries, organised by The Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, shows the many techniques used by the featured Impressionist artists to capture the world around them.

Although best known for their colourful paintings of rural scenes, city streets, and the people who inhabited them, this exhibition shines a light on their use of print as a medium.

The displayed etchings, lithographs, aquatints and dry points will be grouped into three themes: Modern Life, Portraits, and Landscapes & Labour.

CURATOR TALK

Visitors are invited to The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour: Talk by Associate Curator, Laura Llewelyn at Kirkby Gallery on Tuesday 11 October 2022, 2-3pm. Laura’s talk will explore a lesser-known side of Degas’ artistic practice, as a talented and prolific painter of portraits. Tickets are free but limited so please email tina.ball@knowsley.gov.uk to book your place.

KIRKBY GALLERY

Kirkby Gallery is open Monday to Friday: 10am – 5pm (last entry at 4.30pm), Saturdays 10am – 1pm (last entry at 12.30pm).

You will find it on the first floor of The Kirkby Centre, Norwich Way, Kirkby, Knowsley, L32 8XY.

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For more information about Knowsley’s year as Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture follow @cultureknowsley on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or click here.