Unseen for over 15 years - exquisite watercolours go on show

Rarely exhibited and in superb condition, the collection of watercolours in the Fitzwilliam Museum is one of the finest in the world. Incredibly delicate, many of these have not been exhibited for 15 to 20 years. In a new exhibition the Museum will be showing watercolours by great masters of the medium including John Constable, Peter de Wint, John Sell Cotman, Samuel Palmer, J. M. Whistler, John Singer Sargent, Paul Cézanne, Camille Pissarro and Paul Nash.

"Watercolour: Elements of nature" explores the versatility of watercolour: showing its unique ability to capture the fleeting effects and elemental forces of nature, but also how it was used to observe the natural world in minute detail. At the same time its transparent films of colour wash offer a glimpse into the visionary world of the imagination.

Due to their light sensitivity these paintings can rarely be displayed - the exhibition offers a unique chance to see some of the Fitzwilliam’s most spectacular works on paper.

Watercolour is a familiar subject but the exhibition explores it in a new way, also showing techniques and genres people may not associate with it: such as miniature painting or the watercolour work of the Impressionists.

It will also show how watercolour was taught through books and teaching manuals, as well as revealing the materials used by artists over the centuries. In the 16th and 17th centuries, artists obtained dry pigments - mostly derived from minerals, plants, natural earths and insects - from the apothecary. These were mixed with a binder such as gum arabic in mussel shells. Later inventions included the revolutionary development in 1781 of small hard cakes of soluble colours. Windsor and Newton created moist colours, first in porcelain pans, then in metal tubes: some of their secret recipe books from the 19th century will be on show.

The Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Tim Knox said: "This will be an utterly ravishing exhibition, for the Fitzwilliam Museum can show the grand sweep of watercolour painting that few other museums can rival. From the bejewelled miniatures of Nicholas Hilliard and Isaac Oliver, through masterpieces by Turner, Cotman and Girtin, to rapidly executed, virtuoso performances in coloured wash by John Singer Sargent."

Watercolour: Elements of Nature is curated by Jane Munro and runs from June 16 to 27 September. It is complemented by a showing in the Shiba Gallery of watercolours by J.M.W. Turner, which has been arranged with guest curator Ian Warrell in collaboration with Jane Munro. Admission to both exhibitions is free. A selection of works from the exhibition are available to purchase via our custom print site www.fitzwilliamprints.com.

12 June 2015