Exhibition introduction

Love is one of the most important and rewarding human emotions. However, it is not always simple. It is linked to joy and passion but sometimes also to jealousy and disappointment. Love may be selfless or obsessively inward looking. It can link a person to their community or create a deep bond between couples.

This exhibition contains paintings and sculpture from the 1500s to the present day. Pictures of great love stories give us a glimpse of the beliefs of particular cultures, often long ago. Nevertheless, the power of the emotions they express still comes through to us today. Spiritual emotion and the tender love of families similarly reveal connections over the centuries. Common themes link other, very varied, artworks. These include loving tenderness, flirtation, rivalry, faithfulness, and the triumph of love over obstacles.