The Barber at The Courtauld: New research on the Barber collection

Описание: To coincide with the current display at the Courtauld Gallery of 18 masterpieces from the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham, this event will bring together researchers from the Barber and The Courtauld to discuss some of these works. It will take the form of short, 10-minute talks by scholars presenting new research on paintings from the Barber collection by Salerno di Coppo, Claude Lorrain, Thomas Gainsborough, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Max Pechstein.

Following the presentations, Professor Mark Hallett, Märit Rausing Director of The Courtauld, and Professor Jennifer Powell, Director of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, will reflect on the past 93 years of the two institutions and the role played by university art galleries within the wider cultural and research landscape.

The Barber Institute of Fine Arts was founded in 1932 as a gallery serving the University of Birmingham, the same year that the Courtauld Institute of Art and its collection became part of the University of London. Both were intended to encourage the study and public appreciation of art and art history, and today hold two of the finest collections of European art in the country.

The Barber in London: Highlights from a Remarkable Collection is on view at the Courtauld Gallery until 28 June 2026.

Organised by Dr Chloe Nahum, Bridget Riley Art Foundation Curatorial Fellow.

With contributions from:

Professor Aviva Burnstock, speaking on The Crucifixion, attributed to Salerno di Coppo, 1280.

Robert Wenley FSA, speaking on A Pastoral Landscape, Claude Lorrain, 1645.

Dr Esther Chadwick, speaking on The Harvest Wagon, Thomas Gainsborough, 1767.

Professor Steve Edwards, speaking on The Harvest Wagon, Thomas Gainsborough, 1767.

Matthew French, speaking on A Woman Seated in a Garden, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, around 1890.

Dr Camilla Smith, speaking on Still Life in Grey, Max Pechstein, 1913.

Professor Jennifer Powell is Director of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, and Barber Professor of Fine Arts at the University of Birmingham.

Professor Mark Hallett is the Märit Rausing Director of The Courtauld.