Introduction

Watts Gallery’s collection of over 7,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, ceramics, prints and photographs is now available to search online. This includes key works by both G F and Mary Watts alongside the work of their contemporaries. In addition, you can browse items from the Compton Potters’ Arts Guild and The Rob Dickins Collection of over 3,500 photographs of artists and leading personalities of the 19th century.

Within this resource we have published new research, undertaken over the past five years, into 160 works by G F Watts. This research has been split equally across four themes: Portraiture, Historical and Biblical, Mythology and Symbolism. Research was undertaken by five Early-Career Research Fellows: Dr Stacey Clapperton, Dr Nichole Cochrane, Dr Melissa Gustin, Dr Eva-Charlotta Mebius, and Dr Ryan Nutting.

This is the first iteration of an ongoing project to improve access to our collections. As new research is undertaken, information on this resource will be updated.

This project was generously supported by Marc Fitch Fund, Tavolozza Foundation, The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust and The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art.

Using the resource

Use the Search tab above to explore our collection.

The simple search page invites you browse curated selections of works according to theme or object type. The search bar at the top of the page allows you to search for a word or phrase across all records currently online. To search for a specific phrase, simply surround your query with "quotation marks".

The advanced search page allows you to add more detail to your query, including limiting your search to a date range, medium or creator.

The expert search page allows you to search across specific fields, with the added ability to exclude or further define your search using the and/or/and not functions available.

Previous searches can be recalled using the Search history tab.

You can build a bespoke selection by clicking the green ‘star’ icon next to each record. This personalised list can be accessed via the Selection tab. This, alongside the details view of any record, can be printed or downloaded for offline reference using the icons to the left of the screen.

The focus of this iteration of the project was to publish our collection of the artwork of G F and Mary Watts. Some information relating to our library and archives is available via this resource, and can be explored by either searching, or browsing the curated collections G F Watts Papers and Mary Watts Papers on the Simple search page.

Please contact us at curatorial@wattsgallery.org.uk if you have any further questions.