A STRONG selection from the permanent collection dominates Huddersfield Art Gallery at present and is enlivened by sculpture, including two pieces by Jacob Epstein.
Also worth a re-showing is Chris Gollon’s painting, Einstein and the Jealous Monk, acquired by the gallery in 2005 in celebration of Einstein Year and the centenary of the General Theory of Relativity.
The two characterful Epstein sculptures on display are bronzes of Albert Einstein and a first portrait of Kitty Garman, Einstein’s third child. The portrait was not completed without some difficulties.
In the beach hut in Cromer where the sitting took place Einstein smoked so much during the first session that Epstein claimed he had been able to see nothing and he gave strict instructions regarding the rest of the sessions.
When he heard who was acquiring the Einstein bronze Epstein wrote to the gallery, “I am very pleased you are having my portrait of Professor Einstein, which I consider is perhaps my finest portrait and certainly the portrait of a great man.”
Elsewhere there are many old favourites and some newer paintings, such as Arturo di Stefano’s Huddersfield Railway Station (oil) of 2001.
Watch out for some works not regularly shown, including Elisabeth Frink’s lithograph of Icarus and Elizabeth Blackadder’s Still Life of 1064 with Sandalwood Fan.
Also worth inspection are Samuel Firth’s Summer Skies and Sunshine (oil), James Brooke’s Early Autumn, Castle Hill from the South West (oil) and Lynn Chadwick’s Moon of Alabama, a lithograph of 1963.
Jennie Moncur’s Parlour Pink is an attractive fabric piece in wool and linen on mohair warp (2003).
Henry Moore’s well-known Falling Warrior bronze (1956-7) is complemented by three other sculptural pieces, all from 1984.
They are Jim Robinson’s Rock Formation (stoneware), David Lloyd-Jones’ Large Vase (earthenware) and Dennis Farrell’s Blue Wall (stoneware).
The exhibition continues until December, with changes.
