Pallant House Gallery: The Chichester gem that will tell you the story of Modern British art

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On the trail for arts and culture gems? Our series of ultimate guides will tell you everything you need to know about the museums and galleries you need to visit.

Why should I visit?

Between the leafy South Downs and the fresh air of the South Coast, you’ll find charming Chichester - where Pallant House Gallery is one of the town’s crown jewels.

Housed in an 18th century townhouse, the gallery is a gorgeous architectural gem in its own right (and continually expanding in size in order to keep up with its popularity). Its mainly Modern British art collection is made up of a number of bequests from significant art collectors, charting Britain’s artistic, social and political history throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.

The founding collection, which includes works by Paul Nash, Frank Auerbach and David Bomberg, was donated by the late Reverend Walter Hussey. His passion for art meant that he often commissioned artists to create work for the Church; his wish that his artworks be displayed in Pallant House secured its future as a gallery.

Both British Library architect Sir Colin St John Wilson and Damien Hirst’s former-business manager Frank Dunphy later chose the gallery to gift works from their collections. It is now home to over 4,000 works; the fact that so many collectors have chosen this gallery to donate artworks to is a continued testament to its significance.

In addition to the permanent collection, the gallery’s creatively curated exhibition programme keeps its collection in constant dialogue with the contemporary moment. Previous highlights have included an exploration of how 80 women artists were inspired by Virginia Woolf, a study of British Pop Art photography, and Dorothy Bohm’s Sussex seaside photography.

If a trip to the gallery conjures up an appetite for creativity, there’s also a rolling programme of talks, workshops and art history courses - as well as one of the country’s leading secondhand art bookshops.

Highlights from the collection

Avid readers will appreciate the chance to see work by Paul Nash and Mark Gertler – two artists whose lives are documented in A Crisis of Brilliance, David Boyd Hanock’s celebrated book about British artists who had their lives disrupted by the First World War.

Michael Andrews, Thames Painting: The Estuary (1994-5)

Thames Painting: The Estuary is the final work made by Michael Andrews before he died in 1995. The dreamlike rendering of the capital’s river shoreline, dotted with miniscule figures, is characteristic of the artist’s capacity for making works that feel both intimate and illusory.

RB Kitaj’s 1981 work The Architects makes the collection’s personal touch even more so - it’s a portrait of Sir Colin St John Wilson, who made a significant donation of art to the gallery.

Tracey Emin, Roman Standard
Christopher Ison

Donated by Frank and Lorna Dunphy, Tracey Emin’s Roman Standard lives in the gallery’s courtyard garden. The work was originally created in 2005 for the city of Liverpool, as Emin’s first public sculpture; the artist said it was often mistaken for a real bird.

What’s coming up in 2019?

Camden Town Group member Harold Gilman comes under the spotlight in an exhibition currently running until June. The early 20th century artist captured domestic and urban life when society was thrown into flux by the First World War. A contemporary view of London is conjured in a separate exhibition, the first major show of work by painter Nick Goss.

Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell are among the artists included in Art Quake: Post-Impressionism and British Art, an exhibition that explores how artists this side of the pond were influenced by Cezanne, Van Gogh and Picasso.

Later in the year, the gallery will mark the centenary of the Bauhaus with an exhibition of the work of Grete Marks, one of the school’s earliest female students. Also in June, there’s a rare chance to see paintings by Walter Nessler, who came to Britain after being denounced as ‘degenerate’ by the Nazis. Later in the month, a deeper look at English painter Ivon Hitchens will explore his six-decade career in full.

In November, neglected artist Jessica Dismorr will form the centre of an exhibition looking at radical 20th century women artists.

Exhibitions to look forward to in 2019

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Are there guided tours?

Yes - there are drop-in guided talks on Thursdays and Saturdays, which are totally free with your admission ticket. If you'd like a tour tailored to a specific theme, that can also be arranged in advance with the gallery.

Where is it?

Pallant House Gallery is in leafy Chichester, a few miles shy of the South Coast.

How do I get there?

The gallery is a short walk from Chichester’s main railway station, which has a direct line from London Victoria. It is also easily accessible by car, with a dropping off bay outside the gallery and around ten car parks located around the centre of the town. It is also easily accessible by bus.

When is it open?

The gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday (it is closed on Mondays). It is open from 10am to 5pm, with opening hours extended to 8pm on a Thursday. On Sundays and Bank Holidays, opening hours are 11am-5pm.

Latest exhibition reviews

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Is it free?

All of the ground floor exhibitions and displays are completely free to access, but a main ticket to the gallery (including the permanent collection and all temporary displays) costs £12.50, a price which is reduced to £6.50 on Tuesdays and from 5pm on Thursdays. Concessions can access all of the gallery for free - just show proof of eligibility when buying your ticket.

In a nutshell…

The personal side of Modern British art, with a contemporary twist.

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