Media release: 9 January 2026
New exhibition at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum
- John Singer Sargent: An American in Worcestershire is on show at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum from 17 January to 14 June 2026
- The exhibition celebrates the famous artist’s visits to Worcestershire
- Includes works not seen before in Worcester, with loans from Tate, British Museum, Ashmolean Museum and Houghton Hall.
The new exhibition John Singer Sargent: An American in Worcestershire opens at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum on Saturday 17 January and runs until Sunday 14 June 2026.
This new exhibition curated by Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum showcases the work of John Singer Sargent, one of the most celebrated portrait painters of his time, and his role within the Broadway colony of artists in Worcestershire. His summers spent in the county saw the American artist break free from the conventions of Salon-style studio painting to experiment with Impressionism and work ‘en plein air’.
The exhibition includes works not previously seen in Worcester, with loans from Tate, British Museum, Ashmolean Museum and Houghton Hall.
The exhibition reflects the importance of the Broadway colony of artists on Worcestershire’s artistic heritage; the circle of avant-garde creatives included Alfred Parsons, Francis Millet, Edwin Austin Abbey and Edward Elgar.
John Singer Sargent was influenced both by traditional realism and by the growing spirit of Impressionism. He became most renowned as a portraitist, with a remarkable ability to capture the individual likeness and character of his sitters, many of whom were wealthy patrons on both sides of the Atlantic.
Over the course of his career, Singer Sargent focused on society portraiture, impressionist landscapes of his travels, and, as an Official War Artist from 1918, the devastating effects of modern chemical warfare.
The exhibition, which has been funded by Arts Council England through the Museum Renewal Fund, also features works from Worcester’s own collection, by artists contemporary to Singer Sargent including Pissarro, Whistler, BW Leader and a newly acquired Renoir lithograph on display for the first time.
Deborah Fox, Museums Worcestershire Senior Curator commented: “Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum is committed to bringing great art and artists to the region. We are very excited to celebrate John Singer Sargent and his links to our beautiful county, as well as showcasing great works from Worcester’s own collection.”
The exhibition runs from 17 January – 14 June at Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum. The Art Gallery & Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 4pm and Sunday 10am – 3pm. Tickets for the exhibition can be booked at museumsworcestershire.org.uk
ENDS
Press contact:
For further information contact:
Helen Large, at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum, email Helen.Large@worcester.gov.uk
Image Credit: Simplon – Mrs Barnard and her Daughter Dorothy, photo by Birmingham Museums Trust
Exhibition Details:
John Singer Sargent: An American in Worcestershire
Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum
Saturday 17 January until Sunday 14 June 2026| Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum
Tuesday to Saturday 10am – 4pm, Sunday 10am – 3pm
To book tickets: www.museumsworcestershire.org.uk
Featuring a sumptuous selection of artworks showcasing the work of John Singer Sargent, one of the most celebrated portrait painters of his time, and his role within the Broadway colony of artists in Worcestershire. The exhibition includes loans from Tate, British Museum, Ashmolean Museum and Houghton Hall, many visiting Worcester for the first time.
Bite-size Talk | Singer Sargent and the Broadway Colony
Tuesday 10 March 2026, 2 – 2.30pm | Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum
The incredible array of artists that made up the Broadway Colony are the focus of this talk with the exhibition curator – exploring how the artists lived and worked together in the beautiful Cotswolds and their lasting legacy on British art. Tickets £4.95.
Spotlight talks by historian Justin Reay | Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum
Saturday 25 April 2026, 11am – 12pm – Arousing the senses. John Singer Sargent: landscapes, low life and high society. Tickets £10.
Saturday 23 May 2026, 11am – 12pm – Skin. John Singer Sargent and the scandal of Madame X. Tickets £10.
Tickets for the talks and exhibition can be purchased in advance on the website www.museumsworcestershire.org.uk
Please note the Art Gallery & Museum is closed on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
About Museums Worcestershire
Museums Worcestershire is the joint museum service of Worcester City and Worcestershire County Councils. It comprises three fantastic venues– Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum, The Commandery in Worcester and The Worcestershire County Museum at Hartlebury Castle.
The collections and exhibitions at our sites are many and varied, covering centuries of the county’s history right up to the present day. Thousands of objects, including the historic buildings themselves, are brought to life through innovative exhibitions and events throughout the year.
www.museumsworcestershire.org.uk
About the Museum Renewal Fund
The Museum Renewal Fund is targeted at museums owned and directly maintained by local authority funding, or with a governance link to a local authority. The Fund is an urgent intervention to enable rapid delivery in 2025/26, to safeguard the vital community engagement and impact which public access to museums enables.