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The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is an art gallery in Birmingham, England. It is situated in purpose-built premises on the campus of the University of Birmingham. The Grade II listed building, designed by Robert Atkinson in the 1930s and opened in 1939 by Queen Mary, is a fine example of Art Deco architecture. The layout of the museum is centred around a central concert hall which is surrounded by lecture halls, offices and libraries on the ground floor and art galleries on the first floor.
The collection is full of famous works by artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Auguste Rodin, Pablo Picasso and Rembrandt, displayed in spatious and elegant galleries on the first floor of the Institute. The Renaissance is represented by masterpieces by Giovanni Bellini, Veronese and Simone Martini (e.g. his St John the Evangelist of 1320), the 17th century by Rubens, Van Dyck, Poussin and Murillo.
The collections of French impressionism and post-impressionism include artworks by Degas, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh and Gauguin. Among the British artists represented are Aubrey Beardsley, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Rossetti and Turner. There is also a fine collection of sculpture (including works by Rodin and Degas) and of portrait miniatures and objets d'art. Standing at the entrance is an equestrian statue of George I, the oldest public sculpture in Birmingham.
The institute also has one of the world's largest coin collections, especially of Roman and Byzantine coins. This outstanding collection was supplemented in 1967 with 15,000 coins from Phillip Whitting and Geoffrey Haines. Many concerts take place at the Barber throughout the year, as well as a music festival which is held in June.
Address:
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TS
Telephone : +44 (0) 121 414 7333
Fax: + 44 (0) 121 414 3370
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