The Splendour of Stonehenge

Devizes Museum Exhibition: The Splendour of Stonehenge
10:00 am, Wednesday, 29 May, 2013


An exhibition of pictures from the Museum's art collection.

The Museum has an extensive collection of paintings, drawings, engravings, prints and photographs of Stonehenge, dating from the 18th century to the present day. Artists represented in the collection include Frederick Nash, A V Copley Fielding, George Richmond, James Bridges and Henry Moore.

The exhibition will show how different artists have been inspired by the monument and how interpretation and emphasis has changed over the years. More modern studies show a bold, often provocative approach, with a greater understanding of the real nature of Stonehenge, contrasting with the (often technically inaccurate) classical Romantic interpretation of the 19th century.

The Museum has been fortunate in having recently acquired a number of important works depicting the monument and this exhibition is an opportunity for members of the public to view them for the first time.

Stonehenge is Britain’s most iconic archaeological monument, attracting some one million visitors from all over the world each year. It has similarly held a great appeal to artists and was one of the leading artistic symbols of the Romantic movement. Its fame, coupled with its wild setting on Salisbury Plain made Stonehenge popular for English topographical artists, and more recently its cragginess and striking silhouette on the skyline, appeals to photographers.

The exhibition opens on 25 May (not 29 March as previously advertised) and will be on show in the Museum's Art Gallery until 1 September.

Cost: Usual admission charges apply