The ‘Death’ of the Life Room
6 June 2024 – 12 January 2025
Set against the backdrop of the 1950s this collection display highlights the challenges faced by the life room tradition from the mid-20th century.
The 1950s was a decade when the Whitworth not only became a university gallery but saw progressive art education reform taking place across Britain’s further and higher educational institutions. By the late 1950s, the life room came to represent an outdated and academic model that for some, was hindering innovation. Yet for others, drawing from the figure still had a place in the forward-thinking art school.
To coincide with The University of Manchester’s bicentenary year, this exhibition places key works from one of its former teaching collections, which was transferred to the Whitworth in 1959, alongside examples from its internationally renowned collection to explore this fascinating period in the life room’s history.
Highlights include recent acquisitions alongside other works by Edward Burne-Jones, Walter Crane, Edward Poynter, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, and David Hockney.
Caption; George Alfred Stevens, (1817–1875). Study of a Man’s Legs in a Reclining Position. © The Whitworth, The University of Manchester. Photo: Michael Pollard.
Further information:
- Opening times: Wednesday to Sunday, 10.00 am-5.00 pm; open until 9.00 pm on Thursdays
- Location: The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6ER
- Getting there: By foot: 20-30 minures from Manchester city centre; By Bike: Sheffield stands and lockers (£1 coin, refundable) both available at the gallery; By Bus: 15, 41, 42, 43, 140 – 143, 147 – ask for bus stop nearest MRI, Oxford Road; By Metrolink: St Peter’s Square (plus 10 minutes on the bus or 20 minutes on foot); Train: Oxford Road (plus 10 minutes on the bus or 20 minutes on foot); By Car: On-street parking (maximum stay, 2 hours) on Denmark Road. Nearest car park Cecil Street
- Admission is free
