FEBRUARY - A day of Culture - Ferens Art Gallery

I think I've visited the City centre more in these first three months of 2017 than I have in total over the last 5 years.  I'm absolutely loving seeing so many people enjoying the city and what it has to offer.

We had a good wander around one weekend at the beginning of February visiting among other places, The Ferens art gallery which has had a multi-million pound refurb.  It re-opened in January to a great fanfare and much press interest due mainly to the addition to it's already fabulous collection of a newly restored 14th century masterpiece by Lonzeretti and a temporary exhibition of Francis Bacon's Screaming Popes. They had 10,000 visitors in the first weekend alone.

A bit of background on The Ferens Art Gallery, it is named for the man who bought and donated the land on which it is built.  The great philanthropist Thomas Ferens who you can read more about here .  He is well worth a read.  He helped establish Reckitt and Colman and as a great supporter of charity, by 1920 was donating £47,000 of his £50,000 earnings to charitable causes.  As an MP for Hull, he was a champion of womens rights in parliament.  A truly great man who I admire tremendously.  One of the Galleries is dedicated to him and his legacy.

I love wandering around the Ferens but there is almost too much to take in for one visit.  When we visited, it was hosting the 50th annual open exhibition for local professional and amateur artists.  As always with these kinds of things, some art we loved, some we hated but all of it made us think and discuss.  As I haven't visited in a number of years, I enjoyed seeing some of my old favourites again.

First Born - Frederick Elwell

I've always loved this beautiful painting.  From the tenderness of the mother's gaze at her baby to the pretty bedroom setting.  It's one I always look for whenever I go in.

Lion at Home - Rosa Bonheur

So majestic!  This is one of those enormous paintings that one that you can sit in front of and just soak up.

As well as my old favourites, this new addition really grabbed my attention.  It features neon illuminated lines from the poem by Thomas Hood, Gold Gold Gold.

Untitled (Gold) by Bik Van Der Pol

If you've never visited The Ferens, what's stopping you?