THE Bendigo Art Gallery is set to host some of the finest examples of British art next year.
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In another coup for Bendigo Art Gallery, Ambition and Genius from The Royal Academy of Arts in London will tour Australia for the first time.
It's a really exciting moment in the history of the gallery and there is more to come
- Karen Quinlan
About 100 works will be featured in the exhibition including valued works by Thomas Gainsborough, John Singer Sargent, Henry Fuseli and Sir Joshua Reynolds.
The exhibition is the first from the Royal Academy in its 245-year history to be showcased in Australia.
Bendigo Art Gallery director Karen Quinlan spoke with the Bendigo Advertiser about this exclusive exhibition.
She said she had been working on getting the historic exhibition to the city since 2009.
“We felt it was an opportunity to work with an institution that rarely tours,” Ms Quinlan said.
“There are some wonderful art pieces coming.
“They are well known, well researched and I think people will enjoy the exhibition.
“Hopefully when it opens next year it will be another feather in our cap, we are really excited.”
Ms Quinlan said the collaboration between the Bendigo Art Gallery and Royal Academy of Arts will provide audiences with an unprecedented opportunity to view works that rarely leave the United Kingdom.
She said exhibitions of this calibre took years to develop.
“I was in London looking at an exhibition of John Waterhouse who is a member of the Royal Academy and I decided to ask the question,” Ms Quinlan said.
Next year the Bendigo Art Gallery will also host internationally-renowned exhibition Body Beautiful in Ancient Greece exhibition, which is coming to Bendigo in August, 2014.
“There is a lot happening next year, in fact I have plans that extend out further,” Ms Quinlan said.
“I am working on exhibitions for 2015 and 2016.
“That is how we have to work if we want to bring international works to the gallery.”
Ms Quinlan said the gallery now had a strong reputation for hosting world-renowned exhibitions.
“Visual arts crosses many realms and I think this gallery is very good at adapting and being able to show collections in a very contemporary way,” she said.
“It’s a really exciting moment in the history of the gallery and there is more to come.”
