Press Releases
Imagine a Castle: Paintings from the National Gallery, London opens in Cardiff
Date:
2020-01-28One of the most original and impressive examples of 18th century landscape painting – The Fortress of Königstein Castle from the North (1756–8) by Venetian master painter Bernardo Bellotto, is on display at National Museum Cardiff from 28 January – 10 May 2020 as part of a UK-wide tour by the National Gallery, London.
Bernardo Bellotto. The Fortress of Königstein from the North. © The National Gallery, London. Bought with the support of the American Friends of the National Gallery, The National Gallery Trust, the Estate of Mrs Madeline Swallow, Art Fund (with a contribution from The Wolfson Foundation), Howard & Roberta Ahmanson, The Deborah Loeb Brice Foundation, Mrs Mollie W. Vickers, The Manny & Brigitta Davidson Charitable Foundation, The Sackler Trust and through private appeal, 2017
Gifs created by the pupils at Kitchener Primary school in Cardiff
One of the most original and impressive examples of 18th century landscape painting – The Fortress of Königstein Castle from the North (1756–8) by Venetian master painter Bernardo Bellotto, is on display at National Museum Cardiff from 28 January – 10 May 2020 as part of a UK-wide tour by the National Gallery, London.
The painting was saved for the British public in 2017 by the National Gallery, London with the support of Art Fund and other funders. It will be displayed alongside a selection of European Old Master paintings from the collections of National Gallery, London and Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales in the Cardiff exhibition Imagine a Castle.
Wales is often called the ‘land of castles’ and with over six hundred of them, they hold an important symbolic role in the nation’s history and contested identity. Many renowned artists have used the motif of the castle as a way to represent Wales’ wild, majestic, and romantic landscapes.
Imagine a Castle will complement and highlight the rich and diverse representations of castles in the collections of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales – including work by artists such as Richard Wilson and Peter Finnemore. These works, from two national collections, will encourage the discussion of new and imaginative perspectives.
As part of the interpretation of the exhibition local schoolchildren were invited to explore what castles meant to them and to respond imaginatively to Bellotto’s painting. These responses, in the form of ‘gifs’, are shown on a screen in the exhibition.
David Anderson, Director General, Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, says: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the National Gallery in celebrating the acquisition of one of the most significant European view paintings. Wales is often called the land of castles so it is fitting that we display this fine acquisition here for the first time in Wales.
“Together with other paintings from the National Gallery it will complement Amgueddfa Cymru’s displays of European Old Masters as well as the museum’s collection of pictures of Welsh castles. The exhibition, along with a varied programme of public events, will allow us to draw on the sense of identity and history that many communities in Wales associate with their local castles.”
Bringing together both real and imagined castles, this tour – supported by Art Fund – will also travel to Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens and Norwich Castle Museum in 2020 and early 2021.