England Guide
The West Midlands and the Peak District
The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Opening time: Mon– Thurs & Sat 10am–5pm, Fri 10.30am–5pm, Sun 12.30–5pm
Price: Free
Address: Chamberlain Square
Website: www.bmag.org.uk
Occupying a rambling, Edwardian building, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BM&AG) possesses a multifaceted collection divided into several sections, most impressive of which is its comprehensive collection of Pre-Raphaelite work.
Founded in 1848, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood consisted of seven young artists, of whom Rossetti, Holman Hunt, Millais and Madox Brown are the best known. Among their most important paintings displayed at the BM&AG are Dante Gabriel Rossetti's (1828–82) seminal Beata Beatrix (1870) and Ford Madox Brown's (1821–93) powerful image of emigration, The Last of England (1855). By 1853, the Brotherhood had effectively disbanded, but a second wave of artists carried on in its footsteps. The most prominent of them was Edward Burne-Jones (1833–98), who has an entire room to himself. His Star of Bethlehem is one of the largest watercolours ever painted, a mysterious, almost magical piece with earnest Magi and a film-star-like Virgin Mary.
Elsewhere, the Industrial Gallery holds small but choice selections of ceramics, metalwork and jewellery, plus a wonderful sample of locally produced stained glass retrieved from defunct churches across Birmingham. Here also is the Edwardian Tea Room, one of the more pleasant places in Birmingham for a cuppa.
The Waterhall Gallery, just across Edmund Street from the main museum building, showcases modern and contemporary art including the likes of Francis Bacon and Bridget Riley.