The Holburne Museum in Bath has opened two brand new gallery spaces following a £2.5 million development.
The highlight is the Schroder Gallery, a stunning showcases of treasures from the Renaissance on long-term loan from the Schroder family collection. This remarkable collection, built up over generations, includes silver masterpieces, paintings, bronzes, pottery, and gems. It’s the first time the collection has been displayed in full to the public.
The lower ground floor gallery, designed by Eric Parry Associates with Real Studios, takes inspiration from historic treasure rooms. Visitors can see more than 100 items of silver, including The Schwarzenberg Nef, a rare Mechanical Celestial Globe, and The Aldobrandini Tazza, once part of a spectacular set of 16th-century dishes. Other highlights include Renaissance bronzes, colourful Italian maiolica pottery, and mythological works such as Leda and the Swan.
Upstairs, a second new space – the Dutch Gallery – brings together a collection of 17th-century Dutch paintings. These works were assembled by Baron Bruno Schroder and his wife Emma in the early 20th century. Artists on display include Lucas Cranach the Elder, Hans Holbein the Elder, Jan van Goyen, and Willem van de Velde the Younger. The gallery also features a French landscape by Claude Lorrain, which hasn’t been publicly shown for 100 years.
The collection is on long-term loan to the Holburne from the family of the late Bruno Schroder, adding an outstanding group of international works to Bath’s only public art museum.
Dr Chris Stephens, Director of the Holburne, said, “We are thrilled to open these two new galleries. Thanks to the generosity of the Schroder family, visitors to Bath can now enjoy one of the greatest Renaissance collections in the country in a stunning new setting.”
The building work, led by Eric Parry RA – who also designed the museum’s 2011 extension – converted storage areas into new gallery spaces, with state-of-the-art environmental controls to protect the artworks.
The new galleries are now open to the public as part of the Holburne’s permanent displays.
