Artists draw on history, religion and mythology for subject
matter. They use their imagination and skills and sometimes look to
other cultures for new ideas and materials.
The European Styles gallery follows design style and fashion
from Gothic grandeur to the Historical Revivalism of the Victorian
era, showing the influence of leading artists, new manufacturing
processes and increased exchange with far flung countries.
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object and find out more about it.
The work of great artists influences not only their
contemporaries but also future generations. Leading artists such as
the 16th century master maiolica painter Nicola da Urbino, the
British pottery entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795) and
ceramicist William de Morgan (1839-1917) developed new styles and
ways of working that spread across Europe and beyond.
Great entrepreneurs often ran important firms, employing
hundreds of specialists, including designers, engravers and
gilders. As these companies developed new technologies and
innovative methods of manufacture, objects could be produced more
cheaply and in greater numbers.
Patrons and collectors
Patrons and collectors are responsible for commissioning,
acquiring and collecting the work of artists. These artists may be
living or dead, but their work strikes a chord with the individual.
Some people commission work as a sign of status and taste, others
collect material they are drawn to, often forming large collections
of specific types of work.
The European Styles gallery displays artworks owned by several
famous patrons and collectors, from Renaissance rulers to Scottish
noblemen, demonstrating how, through their support, they encouraged
the development of major international styles.