Location
WC1B 3DG
Dates
This exhibition CLOSED on Sun, 31st Jul 2022
This exhibition has finished.
Cost: Free of Charge
Description
An exhibition centring around Mary Gillick’s portrait of Elizabeth II for the first ever coin featuring The Queen, designed 70 years ago in 1952 and issued in 1953.
The exhibition will showcase the production
and reception of the coin, shining a light on the excitement around the young Queen’s
first depiction on British currency.
The show follows Gillick's long career, from her training in sculpture at London's Royal College of Art in the early 1900s, through her specialisation in medallic art, to her 1952 success and beyond. Gillick's extensive body of work includes cast medals showing an airman who shot down a Zeppelin over England during the First World War and prominent suffragette Ida Wylie. The work on display demonstrates Gillick's skill as a portraitist and as a designer and, with a 15th-century medal by Italian artist Pisanello, shows her debt to the Renaissance – a key element that fed into her portrait of Queen Elizabeth.
A highlight of the display will be items presented to the British Museum by the artist's family in 2005, which included medals created by Gillick from the 1910s to the 1950s, a set of large-scale plaster models of her portrait of The Queen, and insightful documents relating to the coins.
Contact and Booking Details
More information at this website.
No need to book tickets - just turn up on the day.
Disclaimer
The information and prices in this listing are presumed to be correct at the time of publishing, but please always check with the venue before making a special trip.
All images are supplied by the exhibition organiser.
This exhibition has finished.
This event runs over several days/weeks. Dates include:
Other exhibitions open at British Museum
Exhibitions opening soon at British Museum
