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Meet..... Lady Jane Grey | The Box Plymouth
Art - Oct 2023

Meet..... Lady Jane Grey

The woman at the centre of the giant history painting that is undergoing a conservation assessment at The Box until 4 October had a fascinating but tragic life. Find out more about Lady Jane Grey – otherwise known as the ‘Nine Days’ Queen’.

Meet..... Solomon Hart | The Box Plymouth
Art - Sep 2023

Meet..... Solomon Hart

Solomon Hart was one of the most respected British artists of the 1800s, but how much do you know about this Plymouth-born artist who went on to become the first Jewish Royal Academician? Here's your chance to learn a little more about his life.

Pink Coffee Pot by Meissen Porcelain | The Box Plymouth
Art - Sep 2023

Pink Coffee Pot

This distinctive, brightly coloured coffee pot is part of a set that also includes a tea pot, sugar bowl, jug and cups. It is currently on display in the large case in our 'People and Place: Art Collection showcase' gallery.

'Imogen' by Elizabeth Adela Forbes | The Box Plymouth
Art - Sep 2023

'Imogen' by Elizabeth Adela Forbes

This 1898 oil on canvas by Elizabeth Adela Stanhope Forbes (nee Armstrong) ARWS RE (1859-1912) was purchased for the city’s permanent art collections in 1904.

Reynolds' studio materials | The Box Plymouth
Art - Sep 2023

Reynolds' studio materials

Artist Sir Joshua Reynolds’ set up his first studio in Plymouth Dock (now Devonport) in the 1740s, and then established and ran a studio in the Leicester Square area of London. Thanks to archival documents and other items that still exist, we have a good insight into how they ran and how he created some of the many portraits he’s still known for today. Some of these materials are on display in our ‘Reframing Reynolds: A Celebration’ exhibition (until 29 October). Here’s a guide to what you can see!

Archives insight: A Plymouth doctor's gallantry | The Box Plymouth
History - Sep 2023

Archives insight: A Plymouth doctor's gallantry

The Box is currently remembering the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the NHS through telling the story of the courage and self-sacrifice of Dr Alison Jean McNairn (afterwards Jesson) in our Active Archives gallery.

Rana Begum in The Box | The Box Plymouth
Art - Sep 2023

Rana Begum in The Box

There are 11 different works in the 'Rana Begum: Dappled Light' exhibition (until 24 September), three of which can be seen in The Box's main building. As we head into the final fortnight for this visually stunning show, make sure you check them out when you visit!

The Box awarded unique grant to acquire work by Turner Prize-nominated artist  Ingrid Pollard MBE | The Box Plymouth
Press Release - Sep 2023

The Box awarded unique grant to acquire work by Turner Prize-nominated artist Ingrid Pollard MBE

The Box, Plymouth’s award-winning museum, art gallery and archive, is one of two organisations in the UK to be awarded funding through the latest round of the Freelands Art Fund Acquisition – a unique partnership between Art Fund and Freelands Foundation. Launched in 2021, the partnership helps museums acquire work by contemporary women artists that have won the Freelands Award.

The National Gallery's 'Dutch Flowers' and Yinka Shonibare CBE RA's 'End of Empire' to open at The Box in October | The Box Plymouth
Press Release - Sep 2023

The National Gallery's 'Dutch Flowers' and Yinka Shonibare CBE RA's 'End of Empire' to open at The Box in October

A new season of exhibitions and commissions launches at The Box in Plymouth this October with a nationally touring fine art exhibition and a thought-provoking sculpture. Both elements of the programme explore empire, trade and colonisation in different ways – with the aim of encouraging visitors to think about social and historical narratives from a different perspective.

The countdown is on to this year's Plymouth Community History Festival | The Box Plymouth
Press Release - Sep 2023

The countdown is on to this year's Plymouth Community History Festival

Plymouth’s popular annual History Festival returns later this month, with a refreshed identity and week-long programme focused on community and diversity. This year’s festival runs from 30 September to 6 October with a programme that features a great selection of history talks, guided walks and displays.

Rana Begum in St Luke's | The Box Plymouth
Art - Sep 2023

Rana Begum in St Luke's

Artist Rana Begum works with a wide range of colours and materials, and the eight different pieces on display in St Luke’s demonstrate this brilliantly. Although you can’t touch them there’s plenty of space for you to move around them, to appreciate them from different viewpoints and angles and see how they interact with light.

Walking Trail: Reynolds' London | The Box Plymouth
Art - Sep 2023

Walking Trail: Reynolds' London

Although he maintained his links with the West Country throughout his life, Reynolds made London his home from the early 1750s. The places where he lived, worked and socialised were centred around Piccadilly and Leicester Square. This short walking tour connects some of the streets where he would have spent a great deal of his time, and follows a circular route that starts at finishes at Leicester Square tube station.