Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque
The Walker Art Gallery’s Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque works on paper collection includes preparatory drawings, humorous sketches, and highly finished architectural designs. It gives us fascinating insights into the techniques of European artists and highlights the diversity of approaches to drawing and printing through the centuries.
From exploratory studies to independent pieces of art, the Walker Art Gallery’s works on paper collection showcases a range of themes, techniques, and styles from the Renaissance period. These include works by Elisabetta Sirani (1638-1665), Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) and Claude Lorrain (1600-1682).
In 1948, the Walker Art Gallery was presented with a series of works on paper by the Liverpool Royal Institution, which formed the basis of the collection. These were originally collected by David Pennant (about 1775-1841) who gifted them to the Institution around 1843. Pennant was not directly involved with the Liverpool Royal Institution, but many of its members made their fortunes through transatlantic slavery or its related economies. This wealth was largely how they were able to keep rare art and treasures in the city.
To add to the collection further, the Walker Art Gallery acquired the Weld-Blundell collection in 1995. This group of 350 drawings and prints was owned by members of the Blundell family of Ince-Blundell Hall, 10 miles north of Liverpool. Many of the drawings had been previously owned by William Roscoe (1753-1831) and were purchased in 1816 by Charles Robert Blundell (1761-1837). Blundell continued to add to the collection until his death. This acquisition transformed the Walker Art Gallery’s collection of works on paper.