50 Years and Forward

British Prints and Drawings Acquisitions

November 18, 2023–February 11, 2024

Joseph Mallord William Turner

Ivrea (detail)

1836 or c. 1845
watercolor and resist on cream wove paper
The Clark, gift of the Manton Art Foundation in memory of Sir Edwin and Lady Manton
2007.8.116

Presented as part of the on-going recognition of the fiftieth anniversary of the Manton Research Center, 50 Years and Forward: British Prints and Drawings Acquisitions celebrates the British works on paper collected by the Clark over the past half-century. British art did not constitute a major focus of Sterling and Francine Clark’s collection. Despite occasional acquisitions in this area in the early years of the Institute, it was the gift of Sir Edwin and Lady Manton’s collection of British art (donated by the Manton Art Foundation in 2007) that proved truly transformative. As a result of this generous gift, British art rose dramatically in significance and visibility at the Clark, with a dedicated gallery in the Manton Research Center building.

The commitment to collecting British art continues with exciting recent acquisitions that will be shown for the first time. This exhibition celebrates the quality and breadth of British works on paper at the Clark, with highlights including Thomas Rowlandson, J. M. W. Turner, Thomas Girtin, H.W. Williams, Samuel Palmer, Thomas Frye, Evelyn de Morgan, Anna Alma-Tadema, and more.

50 Years and Forward: British Prints and Drawings Acquisitions is organized by the Clark Art Institute and curated by Anne Leonard, Manton Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs.