Art
The important fine art collection of oil paintings, watercolours and drawings, prints, and sculpture, ranges from the 15th century to the present day. It is particularly strong in British paintings from 1800 to 1950, and includes work by Burne-Jones, Holman Hunt, and Stanley Spencer. There is also an important collection of 16th and 17th century Dutch and Flemish works, and Continental paintings include masterpieces by Tintoretto and Gauguin. The watercolours are of international significance, and the extensive print collection includes work by Thomas Bewick and related material.
The wide-ranging decorative art collections are mainly 18th - early 20th century in date. Key areas are glass, silver and ceramics, focusing on works made in the North East. These include outstanding products such as the 18th century Beilby glass, the 1824 Londonderry Glass Service, the pottery produced on Tyneside and Wearside and an excellent collection of Newcastle silver. Non-European collections include Chinese and Japanese ceramics, metalwork and lacquer.
A selection of our collections is displayed online.