Victorian Radicals

In the second half of the XIX century, three generations of young rebellious artists and designers revolutionized the visual arts in Britain, challenging the new industrial world around them. The Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood and the leaders of the Arts and Crafts movement offered a radical artistic and social vision that inspired the pre-industrial past and had a profound impact on the visual culture in the UK and beyond. "Victorian radicals"Collected from the outstanding collection of the city of Birmingham, UK, represent an extensive collection of works, many of which have never been exhibited outside the UK to highlight this dynamic period of British art.

The exhibition presents a range of avant-garde practices of the Victorians of the era, emphasizing the reaction of the first British modern art movement to the unhindered industrialization of the period. Painters' attention to detail, the use of bright colors and the interaction with literary themes and modern life will be illustrated by a selection of paintings, drawings and watercolors, presented together with outstanding examples of decorative art.

The exhibition explores the ideas that worried artists and critics at the time - the relationship between art and nature, questions of class and gender identity, the value of hand and machine production and the search for beauty in the industrial age - issues that remain relevant and are actively discussed today.