New exhibition The Printed Line opens at Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum on Saturday 19 September

  • A national exhibition on tour from the Arts Council
  • Features almost 60 artists including David Hockney, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse
  • Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum has been awarded the ‘Good to Go’ industry standard – with measures in place to ensure the safety of visitors and staff

This Saturday 19 September sees the opening of a brand new exhibition at Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum. Featuring work by almost 60 artists including David Hockney, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, The Printed Line explores how artists have used a variety of printmaking techniques to exploit the potential of the printed line since the beginning of the twentieth century up to the present day.

Rachel Whiteread, LOndOn 2O12, 2011
Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London © the artist

From the thick velvety line of drypoint, to delicate wood engraving and vibrant screen prints, the exhibition is a wonderfully eclectic collection of artworks curated by the Arts Council. The exhibition includes Henri Matisse’s Le Grand Bois, the largest and most important of four woodcuts which he made in 1906-07 and was one of the three woodcuts shown at Matisse’s second solo exhibition in 1906.  The Vollard Suite is one of Pablo Picasso’s most important series of prints. It comprises 100 works produced between 1930 and 1937 at a critical time in Picasso’s career.

While Rachel Whiteread is best known for her sculptural work, drawing has always remained a critical part of her practice. For L0nd0n 2O12, she has composed a pattern of overlapping rings in the Olympic colours. The rings explore the emblem of the Olympic Games, and also represent marks left by drinking bottles or glasses, acting as memories of a social gathering, such as the athletes in the stadium during the opening ceremony or the spectators of the Games.

All the prints in this exhibition are from the Arts Council Collection, which is the largest loan collection of modern and contemporary British art and includes fine examples of work by all of this country’s most prominent artists.
Curator Claire Cheshire says

“It is a pleasure to bring this nationally important exhibition to Worcester residents. We hope visitors enjoy the exhibition and enjoy coming back to visit the Art Gallery and Museum.”

Curator hanging works from The Printed Line at Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum

Take-away activity bags inspired by the exhibition are available and include crafts and fun activities to do at home. The Art Gallery & Museum re-opened to visitors in July following closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Public health guidance has been followed to ensure all visitors feel safe during their visit, including measures such as one-way systems, contactless payments and hand sanitiser stations. As a result the Art Gallery & Museum has been awarded Visit Britain’s ‘Good to Go’ industry standard.

A brand new Museum Shop has also opened in the foyer of the Art Gallery & Museum, with cards and gifts taking inspiration from artworks in the collections.

For more information on the Art Gallery & Museum, safety and social distancing measures please visit this page.

The Printed Line
The Arts Council Collection touring exhibition, The Printed Line opens at Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum, Saturday 19 September – Saturday 14 November. Entry is free.