Sometimes the most extraordinary art can be found in the most unexpected places.
Birmingham often surprises visitors with its cultural gems, and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts is a perfect example. Recently, while the Institute is being restored, a portion of its extraordinary collection was lent to the Courtauld Institute, giving visitors a rare chance to experience its masterpieces up close.

To see fantastic works by Poussin, Claude, Constable, Gainsborough, Turner, all the way to the Pre-Raphaelites, Dante Gabriel Rossetti — it was brilliant. I had never imagined that such paintings could exist in Birmingham. We had seen Pre-Raphaelites at the Birmingham Museum before, but nothing prepared us for the Barber. The collection simply astonishes.

It was a remarkable consolation for missing the Seurat seascape exhibition which is sold out until the end of the month. Next time, we’ll have to book well in advance — perhaps we might finally see the Seurat! But even without it, the day was more than worthwhile.

Another section displayed the most exquisite works by nineteenth century English women (amateur) artists. At a time when cameras and mobile phones did not exist, drawing was a virtuous pastime, especially for young ladies. It was considered part of a proper education: along with music, composition, embroidery, tapestry, and even domestic skills – a young woman was expected to master sketching, watercolour, and sometimes oil painting. The works on display showed such talent — landscapes, scenes from Britain, and vistas glimpsed during Grand Tours in Italy, all executed with astonishing skill.

The journey home was harsher than the art was gentle. Scottish-like rain pelted our faces, whipped by a strong northerly wind. I was grateful to be wrapped up, yet my thoughts kept returning to the homeless filling the streets of London, around the Strand and Warren Street. How do they manage in weather like this, with icy rain and unrelenting wind? It was a sharp, bitter contrast to the warmth and brilliance we had just left behind.

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A Note on the Barber Institute

Founded in 1932 by Sir Henry Barber, the Institute was intended both as an art school and a public gallery, bringing world-class European and British works to Birmingham. Its Art Deco building, designed by Robert Atkinson, houses a remarkably selective collection, emphasizing masterpieces over quantity. Today, the Institute continues to acquire works carefully, often through donations or bequests, maintaining its extraordinary standard.