York Art Gallery

Automaton Clock

This extravagant highly decorated clock featuring moving figures and sound dates from the 1780s. In 2011, the clock underwent restoration and was repaired to its former glory. The case is mid 18th century and continental in style. It was probably made for export to China or the Far East. Although it is now covered in red …

Read more >

Decorative Arts

Our Decorative Arts collection of more than 3,000 pieces contains a wide variety of ceramics, glassware and other items. The substantial collection of ceramics from Yorkshire potteries, dating from the 1600s until the 1900s, includes Rockingham, Creamware, Delft Ware and items from Yorkshire country potteries. Most of these pieces are domestic items such as teapots and …

Read more >

Paintings

York Art Gallery’s collection of over 1,000 paintings is exceptional for its range in covering the history of Western European painting. We have continental paintings from the 14th to the 19th centuries. Strengths include gold-ground panels from 14th century Italy, painted as part of church altarpieces, 17th century Dutch morality paintings, and 19th century French …

Read more >

Studio Pottery

Our collection of 20th century studio pottery is now the world’s most extensive and representative of British Studio Ceramics, with more than 5,000 pieces. It includes works by Bernard Leach, Shoji Hamada, William Staite Murray, Michael Cardew, Lucie Rie, Hans Coper, Jim Malone and Mick Casson. Studio pottery is handmade pottery, made by an individual …

Read more >

Works on Paper

There are over 17,000 drawings, watercolours and prints – collectively known as works on paper – in the collection. About half of these are landscape views and more that 4,000 feature the city of York by local artists such as Henry Cave, John Harper and John Browne. The core of the collection was established in 1931 with the purchase of 1,200 …

Read more >