Exhibition Articles
Press Release - May 2023
'Dig for Victory' dress
The dress was gifted to our collections in 1996 and dates from 1939-1945. It’s an example of mid-20th century fashion as well as a piece of propaganda, and you can see it in a huge case featuring hundreds of objects from our decorative art collection in our ‘People and Place’ exhibition.
Art - May 2023
‘Card Table’ by Wilhelmina Barns-Graham
Wilhelmina Barns-Graham (1912-2004) was one of the most significant British female artists of the twentieth century. She was born in St Andrews, Scotland but after relocating to St Ives she became one of the central figures there. This work is an oil on hardboard dating from the late 1960s and was gifted to our collections in 1976 by the Contemporary Art Society.
Art - May 2023
Reynolds 300: Portrait of Samuel Reynolds
The Reverend Samuel Reynolds (1681-1745), was the School Master of Plympton St Maurice Grammar School. Most importantly, he's a father who played a pivotal role in his child’s life and future career.
Art - May 2023
Reynolds 300: Portrait of Elizabeth Limeburner
Like the enigmatic smile on this young woman’s face, there is more to this portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds than meets the eye.
Art - May 2023
Reynolds 300: Portrait of Lady Ann Bonfoy
This gorgeous portrait dating from the 1750s and depicting a woman in a green and pink dress is part of our ‘Port Eliot Collection’. The woman is Lady Ann Bonfoy (nee Eliot) - the eldest daughter of Richard Eliot (1694-1748) and his wife Harriot (sometimes written as Harriet) (1713-1769).
Art - May 2023
Reynolds 300: Italian Sketchbook
In 2014, Plymouth secured £326,300 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and a range of other funding partners to acquire two important items connected to artist, Sir Joshua Reynolds. One was an early self-portrait from the mid-1740s. The other was a fantastic sketchbook compiled on his ‘Grand Tour’ to Italy from 1750 to 1752.
Art - May 2023
Reynolds 300: Portrait of Charles Rogers
The Box's historically important Cottonian Collection contains thousands of fine and rare prints, drawings, paintings, watercolours, books, sculpture and furniture, and represents the changing tastes and interests of five generations of men over a period of more than 250 years. The man in this portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) is the second of the five.
Art - May 2023
Reynolds 300: Early Self-Portrait
Sir Joshua Reynolds didn’t just paint portraits of the rich and famous, he also created portraits of himself! In 2014, The Box was delighted to acquire two important works by him – one of which was this early self-portrait from 1746.
Art - May 2023
Reynolds 300: Age of Innocence
Today our childhoods should be an age of innocence, a time when we get to be children and explore the world on our own terms and in our own way. But it wasn’t always so. Until the 1700s, it was entirely normal to think of children as little adults, to dress and educate them as such and to expect them to behave accordingly.
Art - May 2023
Reynolds 300: Portrait of Frances Reynolds
Many people aren’t aware that famous portrait artist Sir Joshua Reynolds also had a talented sister. Frances Reynolds (1729-1807) was affectionately known as Fanny. She was six years younger than her brother and would have appreciated, perhaps even emulated his artistic talent whilst growing up.
Art - May 2023
Sue Williamson: Monument I and Monument II
This pair of screen prints in artist Sue Williamson's 'Between Memory and Forgetting' exhibition (until 4 June) date from 1981. They mark the beginning of her preoccupation with monuments, and the way in which people in power try to tell and celebrate their stories for future generations.
Press Release - May 2023
Quinlan and Hastings: Mapping the queer landscape
Through their work, Hannah Quinlan & Rosie Hastings explore the history, politics and iconography of queer culture; mapping the queer landscape in a variety of ways that place underrepresented narratives in the spotlight. Explore this in more detail through ‘Gaby’, a 2018 film work that is currently playing in their ‘Portraits’ exhibition.