This exhibition comprises fifty British drawings and watercolours from the significant collections of the Lady Lever Art Gallery. The most attractive and important works have been selected from a group of around 300, including those by JMW Turner, David Cox, Peter de Wint, Edward Burne- Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. These illustrate the flowering of the British watercolour school in the 18th century and follow its development through the 19th to the early 20th century.

The exhibition will trace the development of William Hesketh Lever (1851-1925), the Bolton- born grocer’s son and wealthy soap manufacturer, as a notable collector of British drawings and watercolours. Different sections trace the development of Lever’s tastes and his relationships with significant dealers at particular periods. The exhibition also showcases the additions to the British drawings collection made by the Trustees of the Lady Lever Art Gallery after its founder’s death.

Discussion