Turner, Wedgwood and Beyond: Inspired by Flaxman
Turner, Wedgwood and Beyond: Inspired by Flaxman
18 September 2026 – 17 January 2027
York Art Gallery is pleased to announce its next major exhibition Turner, Wedgwood and Beyond: Inspired by Flaxman, opening on 18 September 2026.
Marking 200 years since the death of York-born artist John Flaxman, the exhibition celebrates his life, work and lasting influence on art and design. Showcasing Flaxman’s remarkable skill as a draughtsman, sculptor and designer, the exhibition also explores his influence in the artistic community, on fellow artists notably, J.M.W Turner, William Blake and potter Josiah Wedgwood. The longevity of Flaxman’s creativity is celebrated through objects in York Art Gallery’s collection, key loans from the Royal Academy, National Portrait Gallery, V&A and the Barber Institute of Fine Art amongst several other UK institutions.
Flaxman is one of the York-born artists engraved into the façade of York Art Gallery, celebrating the incredible talent that emerged from the city. Flaxman was accepted to the Royal Academy in 1770 at just 15 years old, and won several awards for his contributions to art and design. Following classic Grecian and Roman styles, Flaxman’s designs were used on the iconic Wedgwood pottery as well as inspiring drawings, paintings, stonework, buildings, sculpture, metalwork, chess pieces, funerary monuments and more. Though not a household name as Turner or Wedgwood have come to be, his contributions had significant influence on art that extends through to modern day from humble beginnings in York.
The exhibition has been supported by and produced in partnership with the University of York’s History of Art Department and accompanied by an academic publication, this is the first major exhibition dedicated to Flaxman in York.
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