A must see at Royal Holloway is our world-class collections of paintings, sculptures, prints and watercolours, housed in the Grade 1 listed Victorian Picture Gallery.
The College’s art collection includes world-class paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings and watercolours including works by William Powell Frith, John Everett Millais and Edward Burne-Jones. Recent additions to the collection include works by Augustus John and Graham Sutherland.
At the core of the collection are the legacies of two Victorian collectors: the entrepreneur Thomas Holloway and the artist Christiana Herringham. Their collections have been enhanced through additional gifts, acquisitions and commissions which span from the 17th century to the present day.
Explore our collection highlights, see what events are coming up soon, or find out about conservation, research and volunteering. You can even book group tours or hire the Picture Gallery for events.
Visit us
The Picture Gallery is open to students, staff and the public every Wednesday from 10am-3pm in the autumn and spring terms.
If you wish to see something specific, contact the art collections team to make an appointment.
If you are visiting by car, please get in touch to avoid a parking ticket.
What’s on?
Throughout the year a series of talks and events explore the collections. All events are free and take place in the Gallery unless otherwise stated.
From 14 January - 31 March 2019 visit our exhibition, Christiana Herringham: artist, campaigner, collector, in the Exhibition space of the Emily Davison Building (not the Picture Gallery). Visit the exhibition's page.
Spring Term Events 2019
January
Wednesday 16 January
Picture Gallery public open hours 10am-3pm
Pop-up exhibition: The history of pets and family life
1pm Lunchtime Talk from Dr Lesley Hoskins and Professor Jane Hamlett: Pets in Victorian paintings
The chapel entrance to the Picture Gallery will be closed for maintenance work on 16 January. Please enter via the Victorian corridor, accessed from the North Quad.
2pm Short Talks Programme in the Picture Gallery
Thursday 17 January
12pm Exhibition curators’ tour from Dr Laura MacCulloch and Michaela Jones.
Wednesday 23 January
Picture Gallery public open hours 10am-3pm
12pm Lunchtime Talk from conservator Harriet Pearson: Conserving the Herringham Collection.
2pm Short Talks Programme in the Picture Gallery
Wednesday 30 January
Picture Gallery public open hours 10am-3pm
1pm Lunchtime Talk from Assistant Curator Dr Imogen Tedbury: The romance of Italy
2pm Short Talks Programme in the Picture Gallery
February
Friday 1 February
1pm Lunchtime Talk from exhibition co-curator Michaela Jones: Christiana Herringham: vanguard of the tempera revival (Emily Davison building, events space, next door to exhibition space)
Wednesday 6 February
Picture Gallery public open hours 10am-3pm
2pm Short Talks Programme in the Picture Gallery
6-8pm Late night exhibition opening: arts and craft. (Emily Davison building, exhibition space)
Tuesday 12 February
1pm Lunchtime Talk from Assistant Curator Dr Imogen Tedbury: The romance of Italy (Picture Gallery)
2pm Short Talks Programme in the Picture Gallery
Wednesday 13 February
Picture Gallery public open hours 10am-3pm
2pm Short Talks Programme in the Picture Gallery
Friday 15 February
1pm Lunchtime Talk on Christiana Herringham’s ‘Passage to India’. (Emily Davison building, events space, next door to exhibition space)
Wednesday 20 February
Picture Gallery public open hours 10am-3pm
POSTPONED: due to illness, the lunchtime talk from Curator Dr Laura MacCulloch: Christiana Herringham in Surrey (Emily Davison building, exhibition space) is postponed until 20 March.
2pm Short Talks Programme in the Picture Gallery
Monday 25 February
12pm Exhibition curators’ tour from Dr Laura MacCulloch and Michaela Jones. (Emily Davison building, exhibition space)
Wednesday 27 February
Picture Gallery public open hours 10am-3pm
12pm Lunchtime Talk from Curator Dr Laura MacCulloch: Women artists in the art collections. (Emily Davison building, events space, next door to exhibition space)
2pm Short Talks Programme in the Picture Gallery
Thursday 28 February
1pm Lunchtime Talk from Art Collections Cataloguer Dr Erin McKellar: James Kerr Lawson: an artist’s construction of Rome. (Emily Davison building, art store, LG floor)
1.15-1.45pm Picture Gallery composer-in-residence showcase concert (Picture Gallery)
March
Wednesday 6 March
Picture Gallery public open hours 10am-3pm
2pm Short Talks Programme in the Picture Gallery
6-8pm Late night exhibition opening: celebrating women’s rights. (Emily Davison building, exhibition space)
Friday 8 March
12pm International Women’s Day Lunchtime Talk on Christiana Herringham and the suffrage movement. (Emily Davison building, events space, next door to exhibition space)
Saturday 9 March
Science Festival: family open day, 10am-4pm (Picture Gallery)
Monday 11 March
1pm-2pm Lunchtime Talk from Art Collections Cataloguer Dr Erin McKellar: James Kerr Lawson: an artist’s construction of Rome. (Emily Davison building, art store, LG floor)
Wednesday 13 March
Picture Gallery public open hours 10am-3pm
2pm Short Talks Programme in the Picture Gallery
Tuesday 19 March
4.30-6pm Welcome home party for Edwin Long’s Babylonian Marriage Market. (Picture Gallery)
Wednesday 20 March
Picture Gallery public open hours 10am-3pm
10am-3pm (during Picture Gallery open hours): Special pop-up exhibition of work from Royal Holloway's Scenography students
2pm Short Talks Programme in the Picture Gallery
12pm lunchtime talk from Curator Dr Laura MacCulloch: Christiana Herringham in Surrey (Emily Davison building, exhibition space). This talk is rescheduled from 20 February.
Wednesday 27 March
Picture Gallery public open hours 10am-3pm
2pm Short Talks Programme in the Picture Gallery
2.30pm A special performance of John Cage's Musicircus, inspired by our paintings, performed by our students.
