Laing goes little to showcase Bewick, Turner and Beatrix Potter

Exploring the art of the miniature

Thomas Bewick tailpiece to the History of British Birds. Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford (presented by Mr and Mrs Charles Blakeman, 1982)

For the Laing Art Gallery’s forthcoming new ticketed exhibition, it is dramatically scaling down – though clearly not in the title which is Miniature Worlds: Little Landscapes from Thomas Bewick to Beatrix Potter.

Maybe 15 years ago, when the Newcastle gallery presented a fabulous exhibition of Bewick’s tiny ‘tailpiece’ engravings, magnifying glasses were made available to visitors. This might be a good time to repeat the offer.

Julie Milne, chief curator of art galleries at North East Museums, which runs the Laing, says the exhibition (opening on October 18 and running until the end of February) “specifically explores little landscapes in paintings, drawings, prints, book illustration and sculpture”.

She adds: “The miniature worlds shown in these landscapes will delight visitors with a variety of compelling settings, whether it be Thomas Bewick’s local North East landscapes, JMW Turner’s Italian countryside or Beatrix Potter’s iconic illustrations.

“I am pleased that this exhibition brings together works from the Laing and Hatton galleries together with loans from Tate, V&A, the British Museum, National Galleries of Scotland and regional galleries.

Marcus Curtius by John Martin (1827). Laing Art Gallery.

“We hope that visitors will enjoy the exhibition and marvel at the skill of the artists in creating such intricate miniature landscapes.”

Likely highlights will be the seven little watercolours by Turner, whose 250th birthday is being celebrated this year, a tiny epic by Northumbrian John Martin and nine Beatrix Potter watercolours, including one made for her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

More than 130 objects, 90 of them on loan from other UK collections, will feature in what promises to be a popular exhibition.

Work by Bewick (1753 to 1828), the celebrated Tyneside wood engraver, will be the first we see as we enter the gallery.

A section called Poetic Landscapes will feature miniature wood engravings by William Blake, a rare paper ‘peepshow’ made in about 1829 and those Turner watercolours.

Alice and the Fawn proof illustration to Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by the Dalziel Brothers after Sir John Tenniel (1872). © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Meanwhile a section on Victorian and Edwardian children’s books will have three John Tenniel illustrations for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland along with the equally famous Potter watercolours.

Also featured will be 20th and 21st century works by artists and illustrators including Clare Leighton, Agnes Miller Parker, Gwendolen Raverat, Eric Ravilious and Gertrude Hermes.

Find times and ticket details on the Laing Art Gallery website.