Dulwich Picture Gallery to host first major exhibition celebrating the birth of British surrealist art

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Lizzie Thomson30 May 2019

Works by Francis Bacon, Henry Moore and Eileen Agar will be among the highlights of the UK’s first major exhibition celebrating the birth of British surrealist art, set to open in London early next year.

From February, Dulwich Picture Gallery will display 70 paintings, sculptures, etchings and prints from more than 30 artists as part of British Surrealism: 1783 - 1952. Pieces from the likes of Paul Nash, Leonora Carrington and Graham Sutherland will feature alongside efforts from lesser-known artists including Marion Adnams, John Banting and Sam Hail.

Organisers say they have traced surrealism’s roots back to Britain in the late 18th century, with both William Blake and Henry Fuseli claimed as “protosurrealists”.

The exhibition’s curator, Dr David Boyd Haycock, said: “Surrealism was probably the most exciting, transgressive and bizarre art movement of the twentieth century.

“Its impact on a wide range of British artists was enormous, and almost a century after its first official appearance it is an appropriate moment to expose new audiences to its roots in British culture and its significant influence.”

Jennifer Scott, the Sackler Director of Dulwich Picture Gallery, added: “This show presents the idea that there has often been something edging on the absurd within British creativity, and it was given a name in the wake of the international surrealist movement.

“If you thought Surrealism was solely born in France, think again.”

Artworks will explore themes of war, dreams, politics, violence and desire, with highlights including Edward Burra’s Dancing Skeletons and John Armstrong’s Heaviness of Sleep.

British Surrealism: 1783-1952 is at Dulwich Picture Gallery from February 26-May 17.

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