Secret art treasures of York to go on public display

But with over 20,000 works of art within its collection, it’s impossible to display every treasure of York Art Gallery at once.

Now there’s good news for art lovers the Gallery, on the city’s Exhibition Square, is now to feature an incredible array of works fresh from the gallery’s stores in a new display set to be permanant.

Treasures from the Stores will showcase artworks that haven’t been on display before, or for a long time, including pop art legend Andy Warhol’s ‘Marilyn Monroe,’ from 1967 on silk screen print.

Some of the artwork on display will include the sixteenth century painting ‘Portrait of a Man with a Book’ by Parmigianino, along side Mapped Head by John Davies, a resin sculpture created in 1992.

Thomas Barker’s eighteenth century ‘Crazy Kate’, which has not been displayed for many years will also go be able to be seen by the public, as will new acquisitions including the portrait of ‘Una Marson’ by internationally celebrated artist Sahara Longe.

Some of the works have undergone extensive research or restoration, but others, like ‘Unknown Lady as Saint Elizabeth’, painted in the 17th centure remain a mystery.

Most of the works usually reside in the Friends of York Art Gallery Fine Art Store.

Jenny Alexander, associate collections curator at York Museums Trust said: ‘It’s been amazing to delve into the gallery’s stores to select works for this new display, although the works we’ve selected here are just the tip of the iceberg.

There’s such a variety of works in the free-to-visit exhibition, and we hope visitors will enjoy learning about and be inspired by the treasures from

our incredible collection.

"It’s exciting that visitors will be seeing some works for the first time,

but will also have the chance to see firm favourites on display once again.”

York Art Gallery’s collection was established in 1882 and through gifts, bequests and purchases has now grown to include over 1,000 paintings, 100 sculptures, 14,000 works on paper, and 6,000 ceramics which form the Centre of Ceramic Art (CoCA).

It comes as the Gallery, along with other spaces run by the York Museums Trust, celebrates receiving some £3.7m in funding from Arts Council England over the next three years.

A spokesperson for the Trust said: “This is excellent news and reflects the confidence that the Arts Council has placed in the collections and valuable work of York Museums Trust.

"Well over a million people visit and enjoy our venues and gardens each year.

"This is our city’s cultural heritage which is shared by everyone and is central to the warm welcome that York delivers to its many visitors.”