Treasures from the Shipley Art Gallery Collection

Free entry

No booking required

In 1909 local solicitor Joseph Shipley’s large art collection was bequeathed to the public, together with the funding to build a Gallery in which to display it. This new display showcases highlights from Shipley’s collection, celebrating the richness and diversity of his gift to Gateshead.

Highlights of the Shipley Bequest include a group of outstanding sixteenth and seventeenth-century Dutch and Flemish paintings – one of the finest collections in the UK – as well as some important Victorian British paintings.

Since the Shipley Art Gallery opened in 1917 the collection has grown to include a wider range of art practice alongside Shipley’s collection of paintings. Thanks to acquisitions through public and private gifts and donations, the collection now includes sculpture, decorative art – particularly glass, ceramics and metalwork – and a nationally important contemporary craft collection.