Thomas Holloway, a self-made English multi-millionaire, embarked upon a carefully orchestrated purchasing spree during the last years of his life, amassing a remarkable collection of modern paintings. This collection was the final enhancement to Holloway's generous endowment of a College for women, founded in 1879 and opened by Queen Victoria in 1886. The collection was widely reported and attracted visitors from the start but, although individual paintings have appeared in major exhibitions in Europe and the United States, this exhibition will enable American visitors to see the majority of these works for the very first time.
The exhibition highlights sixty extraordinary paintings which not only exemplify the astute taste of a late Victorian collector, but also represent some of the highest achievements in the figurative and landscape art of the nineteenth century. This volume accompanies the exhibition, which was organized and circulated by Art Services International, Alexandra, Virginia.
The 60 extraordinary paintings that comprise The Royal Holloway Collections touring exhibit illustrate the Victorian belief in art as the ultimate civilizing influence. Art was seen as a teaching tool with visual beauty as its medium, and Thomas Holloway sought out only the best examples, regardless of cost, to enhance the womens college he founded in 1879. Included in this lavishly illustrated exhibition catalog are scenes of contemporary life, historical events, landscapes, animal studies, and marine subjects.
