The city’s Walker Art Gallery appeals for help for a new and exciting project

Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery is situated on William Brown Street and for 130 years it has housed Liverpool’s most outstanding art collection.

Did you know there is a world-class collection of Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque art right here in Liverpool?

And with just under four months before it goes back on public display, after a major refurbishment project to create a new home for it, the Walker Art Gallery is appealing for help.

The final cost of ‘Renaissance Rediscovered’ will top £4.5 million, and although the Government has given £4 million towards the three-year project and other works at National Museums Liverpool, the gallery is seeking support and funds from people in the city to fulfil the total needed and be part of a new and exciting chapter in its history.

“We are a charity, and we do rely on the generosity of our visitors, so any donation would be hugely appreciated, whatever people can give,” says Kate O’Donoghue, Curator of International Fine Art. 

Anyone who’s able to give a donation of £50 or more could receive a special gift. 

The first 100 people to offer £50 will get a limited-edition tote bag featuring an image of ‘Flowers in a Glass Vase on a Marble Ledge’ by Dutch artist Willem van Aelst, a newly-acquired painting which will join the incredible collection this summer.

It will be, adds Kate, a ‘thank you’ from them.

For more information and to find out how you can donate to ‘Renaissance Rediscovered’ go to the website HERE.

The Walker’s Rooms 1-4, which will house the ‘Renaissance Rediscovered’ collection, have been closed for the last three years for the first major renovation in 30 years.

While they’ve been closed, many of the famous artworks have been undergoing examination and restoration to ensure they’re at their best.

And the rooms themselves have been revamped, with new display cases and improved lighting, along with repair work to the air-conditioning system and the roof above the galleries.

It means when they are finally returned, the artworks will have their own dedicated space, and they’ll be joined by amazing newly-acquired masterpieces which will be going on display for the first time.

“The re-opening of these galleries marks an exciting chapter in the history of the Walker, creating beautiful spaces for some of the gallery’s most magnificent treasures,” says Kate.

“We hope this transformation will allow visitors not only to marvel at the considerable skill and artistry on display but also to appreciate that however many centuries separate us, art will always find ways for us to connect with our past.”

‘Renaissance Rediscovered’, which will open on 29 July, presents the Walker’s renowned collection of Western European art from the 13th to the 18th century, with masterpieces like Simone Martini’s ‘Christ Discovered in the Temple’, Holbein’s ‘Portrait of Henry VIII’, and Rembrandt’s ‘Self-Portrait as a Young Man’.

New works which will join them include ‘Allegory of Painting and Music’, the first painting by Giovanni Andrea Sirani to enter a UK public collection, and ‘Flowers in a Glass Vase on a Marble Ledge’.

Other iconic artists whose work will be on display include Titian, Lavinia Fontana, Peter Paul Rubens, and Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.

The UK Government gave £4million towards this project and other works at National Museums Liverpool, to support its collection’s care. ‘Renaissance Rediscovered’ is also funded by Art Fund, Tavolozza Foundation, Henry Moore Foundation and Art Friends Merseyside.

Get the latest arts and culture news for Liverpool HERE.