A visit to the Walker Art Gallery will transport people to a world of art where a large and a superb collection of paintings and sculptures await the appreciation of art lovers and viewers. Located at the city center, this gallery is one of the eight national galleries of the North. It remains open everyday from 10 am to 5 pm.
Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool: a Background
Liverpool houses one of the most famous and greatest art galleries in United Kingdom, the Walker Art Gallery. This gallery was opened in 1877, and it continues to be a storehouse of a splendid collection of art works. Walker Art Galley was built to store the increasing collection of art in Liverpool.
The wide range of artworks that was collected by Corporation of Liverpool needed more space than the Liverpool Free Public Library and Museum could provide. That led to the construction and opening of the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. Since then it has housed a spectacular collection of paintings and sculptures.
Walker Art Gallery Collection: Paintings
The collection of artworks at Walker Art Gallery is an impressive assortment of a large number of valuable paintings and sculptures from the 12th and 13th centuries to the modern day. The galley contains a large number of Pre-Raphaelite paintings as well as various art works of renowned artists belonging to various ages.
Some of the major displays include Rossetti's 'Dante's Dream' and 'The Bower Meadow', Holman Hunt's 'Rienzi' and 'The Awakening Conscience' and John Brett's 'The Stonebreaker'. Also significant are 'Lorenzo and Isabella' by Millais, 'Sponsa de Libano' by Burne Jones and 'Too Late' by the Liverpool artist, William Windus.
In addition to the above mentioned exhibits, the collection of paintings also includes works by Victorian artists, religious paintings, contemporary art works and works by artists like Arthur Hacker, Henry Holiday, Marie Spartali Stillman and Val Prinsep.
Among religious artworks are 'Perseus and Andromeda and Elijah in the Wilderness' by Lord Leighton, 'Ruth and Naomi' by P.H. Calderon and 'Samson and Delilah' by Solomon Solomon. Victorian paintings feature 'And When did You last see your Father?' by W.F. Yeames and 'A New Light in the Hareem' by Frederick Goodall. Besides, there are many paintings of G. F. Watts.
The gallery has a superb collection of landscape paintings in water colors and oil. These consist of works by W. Hunt, T. Sidney Cooper, Birket Foster, Constable, Turner, David Roberts and Creswick. A variety of art works representing contemporary issues
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comprise 'Hard Times' by Frederick Brown and 'Eventide' by Herkomer. Other works include paintings by Charles Landseer and Edwin Landseer.
The Sculptures in Walker Art gallery: Lifelike Representations
Besides the huge collection of paintings, Walker Art Gallery of Liverpool has a fantastic collection of sculptures as well. There are a large number of masterpieces by Victorian sculptors. Sculpture collection includes 'The Tinted Venus', 'The Three Graces', 'Flora' and other works by John Gibson. Other works consist of portrait busts including that of John Gibson.
Some of the beautiful sculptures include 'Florizel and Peredita' by John Durham, 'Psyche at the Well' and 'Highland Mary' by B.E. Spence, 'Peace' by Onslow Ford, 'Adam and Eve' by A.G. Walker and 'Fate-Led' by Albert Toft. A large number of sculptures by Giovanni Fontana and Emil Fuchs are also on display at the Walker Art Gallery.
Two most outstanding pieces or art work, the statues of Michaelangelo and Raphael by Warrington Wood stand at the entrance to the gallery.
Information for the Visitors
The art gallery remains open everyday from 10 am to 5 pm. On 24th December, the gallery remains open till 2 pm and it remains closed all day on 25th December, 26th December and 1st January.
The Walker Art Gallery is located at the city center of Liverpool and therefore is easily accessible from other parts of the city. Visitors to the gallery can avail public transports like buses, trains and metro to reach the gallery. Train stations like Liverpool Lime Street station, Liverpool Central and Moonfields station are just few minutes from the Walker Art gallery.
The bus station located at Queen Square lies close to the gallery. So does the bus station at Paradise Street and National Express Coach station at Norton Street. People can also avail the metro to get to the Walker Art Gallery.
Visitors require no entry fee to enter the Walker Art Gallery. Inside the gallery there are various facilities for the visitors. Walker Art Gallery consists of a shop that sells postcards, jewelry, gift items, a cloakroom and a cafe. Visitors are allowed to take photographs but those cannot be used for commercial purposes. The rooms of the gallery have print room guides that visitors can borrow. Talks and lectures are held at the gallery, which the visitors can attend. Car parking facilities are available.
The galley has a charm of its own and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Liverpool. A tour of Liverpool is thus incomplete without a visit to this gallery.
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