England Guide
The Northwest
Manchester Art Gallery
Opening time: Tues– Sun 10am–5pm
Price: Free
Address: Mosley Street
Website: www.manchestergalleries.org
Manchester Art Gallery holds an invigorating collection of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century art spread over Floor 1. The paintings on this floor are divided by theme – Face and Place, Expressing Passion and so on – rather than by artist (or indeed school of artists), which makes it difficult to appreciate the strength of the collection, especially when it comes to its forte, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. There's much else – views of Victorian Manchester, a Turner or two, a pair of Gainsboroughs, the preposterous historicism of Alexander Wagner and last but not least Stubbs' famous Cheetah and Stag with Two Indians. Floor 2 features temporary exhibitions and a Gallery of Craft and Design, while the Ground Floor's Manchester Gallery is devoted to a visual history of the city.