Walker Art Gallery

This months What Artists Wear episode features choreographer and dancer Rosie Terry Toogood. She tells us about her sense of style, her love for loose fitting pieces and silhouettes which resemble the movement of aquatics forms. Watch the full episode at the link in our bio.

Within the Walker Art Gallery collection, among pieces by artists such as Lucien Freud and Rose Wylie, there's a unique portrait of a barefooted man in a grey suit. This surrealist painting is both of and by Wallasey-based artist Albert Richards. Richards, an aspiring artist, later served in the Army as a paratrooper during WWII and became a war artist, tragically passing away while on duty. In this episode of the National Museums Liverpool Podcast, we chatted with Ged Clarke, a producer, director, and documentarian, about the captivating story of Albert Richards. Listen to the full episode at the link in our bio.

Quick-fire with Rosie Terry Toogood ⚡️ We put Rosie on the spot ahead of her What Artists Wear episode dropping this Thursday 👀 Catch all 3 looks on our YouTube — don’t miss it.

This artwork has ties to an individual associated with transatlantic slavery. This is part of the Walker Art Gallery’s efforts to be transparent about the collection's connections to Britain's colonial history. The painting's first owner was William Roscoe (1753 - 1831), who purchased it directly from the artist in 1791. Roscoe, a Liverpool lawyer and anti-slavery advocate, supported the Slavery Abolition Act (1833) which compensated former slave owners. Although not directly involved in the slave trade, his family benefited from it. His granddaughter Margaret (1812-1852) married Henry Robertson Sandbach (1807 - 1895), who received compensation for his estates in British Guiana (now Guyana). Later, 'The Death of Oedipus' was owned by James Aikin (1792 - 1878), who acquired it before 1842. Aikin, a Liverpool merchant and shipowner, was believed to be active in the Caribbean. His children benefited from a bequest by their uncle William Aikin (died 1837), a slave owner. James Aiken donated the painting to Liverpool, making it a foundational piece of the Walker Art Gallery when it opened in 1877. Henry Fuseli (1741 - 1825) created this artwork inspired by Sophocles’s play 'Oedipus at Colonus.' The painting depicts Oedipus as an old man facing death, with his daughters saying their farewells and mourning. The Death of Oedipus, John Henry Fuseli, 1783 - 1784

Gender Stories and John Akomfrah: Listening All Night To The Rain is opening in just one week! That's right, Walker Art Gallery is hosting two remarkable exhibitions, both free to attend. Gender Stories What is gender? How have our perceptions of it evolved? How does it influence our daily lives? Dive into these questions and more in a fresh exhibition co-developed by National Museums Liverpool, Bristol Museums and Brighton & Hove Museums Listening All Night To The Rain 'Listening All Night To The Rain' by the acclaimed British artist Sir John Akomfrah features a series of multi-channel video installations. This piece was commissioned for the British Pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024. The title is inspired by the poetry of Chinese writer Su Dongpo (1037 – 1101) during his political exile. The work delves into diasporic experiences in Britain, touching on key moments in colonial and post-colonial history, addressing themes of memory, migration, racial injustice, and climate change. It skillfully combines newly shot footage with archival images, audio clips, and global video content. Image 1: Still from 'The Mind is a Group Muscle', Ree Bradley, 2025 featured in Gender Stories Image 2: Still from 'Listening All Night To the Rain', John Akomfrah, 2024

Anne Holt was born to Emma (1802 - 1871) and George Holt (1790 - 1861). Her brother, George Holt (1825 - 1896), was a renowned Liverpool shipowner, collector, and public benefactor. He assembled the collection of British paintings at Sudley House, which was later donated to Liverpool by his daughter Emma in 1945. Anne was an amateur artist. A descendant, also named Anne Holt, donated an album of her watercolours to the Walker Art Gallery in 1978. These works provide a glimpse into Anne's life, her travels, and the opportunities she experienced. Foxgloves (Voyage of the S.Y. Argo), Anne Holt, 1858

No shade… but the theme felt a little lost this year. So we imagined the Met Gala red carpet borrowing from a theatre wardrobe circa 1912 and quietly raised the bar 🎭✨ With the Met Gala 2026 celebrating fashion as art and costume as cultural expression, we couldn’t help imagining what might happen if those ideas were taken a little more… literally. Enter the world of early 20th‑century theatre costume, where drama, symbolism and craft were already doing the heavy lifting. These designs come from our collection of watercolour costume studies by George William Harris (1878–1929), a Liverpool‑based artist whose work suggests that the spirit of the Met Gala existed long before a red carpet was ever rolled out. Created for the stage rather than the spotlight, Harris’s costumes combine flair with purpose—designed not just to be seen, but to say something. From Harlequin and Columbine for the children’s Christmas play Fifinella (1912) to the dignified Male Chorister (Act II), these looks are rich in character and clarity. A bold Scythian Guard from an unknown production wouldn’t feel out of place among today’s more “conceptual” ensembles, while a dramatic figure in red shows how colour and silhouette alone can command attention. Working closely with Basil Dean at the Liverpool Repertory Theatre, Harris treated costume as performance, story, movement and identity. Photoshopped onto the Met Gala carpet, these century‑old designs feel surprisingly at home. Not as competition, perhaps, but as a gentle reminder that fashion’s theatrical roots run deep, and that spectacle has always been strongest when it’s backed by intention. Which is your favourite? 1. Figure in a Red Dress (Costume Design from an Unknown Play) George William Harris 2. Male Chorister (Costume design for 'Fifinella') George William Harris 3. Scythian Guard (Costume Design for Unknown Play) George William Harris 4. Harlequin and Columbine (Costume Designs for 'Fifinella') George William Harris

The Durance is a significant river in southeastern France, flowing through the Hautes-Alpes and Provence before joining the Rhone at Avignon. Cecil Hunt, known for his extensive travels and sketches, masterfully blends watercolour and bodycolour in this piece. By incorporating pencil and scratching techniques into the watercolour, he adds intriguing textures. This approach results in luminous and atmospheric shadows, especially noticeable in the mountain ridges on the left side of the artwork. Valley of the Durance, Cecil Arthur Hunt, 1927

In 1776, Henry Blundell commissioned Albacini to create a replica of a large marble head of Lucius Verus. He was introduced to Albacini by the renowned art collector, Charles Townley. In his work, ‘Account of the Statues, Busts etc. at Ince’, Blundell remarked on the bust, stating: ‘There is something very grand and noble in the character of this bust which denotes a great man’. Alexander the Great, Carlo Albacini, 1777

Don’t miss the grand opening of the Gender Stories exhibition on 15 May at the Walker Art Gallery! 🎉 Dive into a stunning collection featuring works by renowned artists like David Hockney, Catherine Opie, Grayson Perry, and more. This trailblazing exhibition challenges traditional gender roles and showcases personal stories through captivating art. Get ready for an unforgettable night with performances by Choir With No Name Liverpool, PJ Smith, Millie Dollar, and DROSS, plus a vinyl-only DJ set by Namina! 🎶 Join in the fun with activities like badge-making, zine-making, a photo booth, and share your own gender stories in our audio guest book. Be among the first to explore the John Akomfrah: Listening All Night To The Rain exhibition too! 🌟 🎟️ Get your tickets at the link in our bio

This painting clinched the top prize at John Moores Painting Prize 2002. In his statement about the piece, Davies explained: "For some years I have been making text paintings alongside abstract paintings. Both types feed off and inform one another. The text paintings offer a playful and humorous take on my attempts to understand art history and contemporary art. In contrast to how text has often been used in contemporary art, most notably with conceptualism, I want my paintings to be visually seductive and enjoyable to look at, and whilst being serious, to convey a sense of fun and mischief. I have made text paintings on various themes, such as 'A to Zs' and 'Top 100s' of my favourite artists in different categories. This painting was inspired by seeing the recent large Warhol show in Berlin and is one of a series where I have taken one key figure as a starting point and made a painting which resembles a flow chart or mind map. I am interested in the formal, visual result which comes from this way of organising information as a painting, and how by having words which make reference to the history of art can heighten the 'content' of a painting. I want to make paintings that combine the sensuality and beauty of formalism with the humour and toughness of conceptualism." Davies’ painting draws from the example set by gallery director and art historian Alfred Barr (1902 – 1981) and his famous poster ‘Cubism and Abstract Art’ (1936), which aimed to illustrate the relationships between the 20th century's various art movements. Using Andy Warhol (1928 – 1987) as his starting point, Davies explores in his painting the connections between the influential pop artist and various people, places, and terms linked with both high and low culture. Davies’ work highlights how Warhol brought gay and drag culture from society's fringes to the mainstream. Among the mix of ‘superstars’ are terms like ‘Advertising,’ ‘American Dream,’ and ‘Nightclubs,’ alongside ‘Cross-dressing,’ ‘Gay,’ and ‘Camp.’ Super Star Fucker - Andy Warhol Text Painting, Peter Davies, 2002

This painting is part of a series of small artworks depicting nude and clothed women created by Sickert in the spring of 1906. It takes place in the artist's Fitzroy Street studio in London, with the likely model being Alice Mary, sister of Max Beerbohm and a friend of Sickert's, who had posed for him years before. When exhibited in 1908, the title included ‘Fancy Dress’, possibly as a subtle way to mask the true nature of the subject. The sensual pose and attire would have been considered provocative to audiences of that time. Fancy Dress, Miss Beerbohm, Walter Richard Sickert, 1908