Our Collections on Loan
Objects from our Fine and Decorative Art collections have been included in three new exhibitions recently.
Nevile Wallis Esq, 1952, by John Minton
Charleston in Lewes requested Nevile Wallis Esq, 1952, by John Minton for their show: Robert MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun: Artists, Lovers, Outsiders (15 October 2025-12 April 2026).
You can view Nevile Wallis Esq, 1952, by John Minton on the Art UK website.
The exhibition at Charleston explores the life and work of two working-class Scottish artists, who were lovers. Very influential and successful in the mid-20th century, Macbryde and Coloquhoun made important contributions to 20th-century art and queer history. They lived for a time in Lewes but also shared a house in London with John Minton. The sitter, Nevile Wallis, in Minton’s portrait was an art critic for the Observer.
Clarice Cliff & A.J. Wilkinson tea set, 1931, and Art Deco fans, c.1926
A Clarice Cliff & A.J. Wilkinson tea set, from 1931, in the Bizarre range, and two publicity fans will be displayed in the London Transport Museum for Art Deco: the Golden Age of Poster Design (21 November 2025 – 31 July 2027).
Although focusing on graphic art as a tool of mass communication, the exhibition also explores the influence of Art Deco style in everyday objects.
The ‘Architecture and Design’ section of the exhibition, will show the work of Clarice Cliff. Her Art Deco pottery designs are now extremely well-known and highly collectable.
Brighton Museum actually held the first Clarice Cliff exhibition in 1972. She contributed notes to the catalogue and also donated many pieces to our collection.
These beautiful French paper fans, c.1926, were used to advertise the Savoy Hotel and the department store, Galeries Lafayette. They will feature in the ‘Glamour of the Jazz Age’ section of the exhibition.
Brighthelmston, Sussex, c.1834, by Joseph Mallord William Turner
Brighthelmston, Sussex, c.1834, by Joseph Mallord William Turner, will be included in Turner & Constable Rivals & Originals at Tate Britain (27 November 2025 – 12 April 2026).
It is surprisingly the first major loan exhibition to show Turner and Constable together – in the 250th year of their births. (Although we showed paintings and quite a few watercolours by both of them together here in the Brighton Revealed exhibition in 1995.)
Our Turner was requested partly to showcase the importance of his use of watercolour, but also because the work is a ‘spectacular example of Turner’s topographical images – in a swaggering display of technical showmanship‘. Both Constable and Turner visited Brighton and were creatively inspired by the town.
Brighthelmston, Sussex features a rainbow, a compositional device often used by Constable, which serves as example of the two artists’ rivalry or possibly even a mark of respect from Turner.