Simply Splendour: Porcelain, Silver, and Master Drawings

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Worcester (English, 18th century). Teapot, c. 1765–1770.

soft-paste porcelain, 14.1 x 11.5 x 19.1 cm. Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery; Gift of Miss Frances Mills and on behalf of her sisters the late Miss Evelyn and Miss Mildred Mills, G-90-42 ab. Photo: Ernest Mayer

Simply Splendour: Porcelain, Silver, and Master Drawings

The Decorative Arts have been, and continue to be, an important component of the WAG’s collection and exhibition activity.

Like painting and sculpture, the decorative arts are valuable social documents of their time. Beyond their obvious strong aesthetic qualities, these objects have intimate connections to the daily life of their makers and owners. They speak to social custom, contemporary taste, class distinction, and fashion, the same, which might be said of the European drawings on exhibit. The opportunity to display together such a diverse range of artmaking – from porcelain to silver to pen and ink on paper – covering four centuries, affords the visitor a rewarding glimpse at the sister arts to painting and sculpture.

The building of this special collection first gained momentum in the 1950’s when the Gallery accepted a donation from the estate of Melanie Bolton-Hill. By the 1970’s, a collecting strategy for decorative arts reflected a focus on British and Canadian porcelain, silver, glass, and studio ceramics. Today the collection, spanning the late 17th to 21st centuries, numbers over 4,600 works.

The Drawings collection at the WAG also has roots in the 1950’s with the purchase of an 18th century French drawing by Jean Baptiste Pillement, at the suggestion of the recently installed director, Ferdinand Eckhardt. This collection is much smaller than the decorative arts holdings; however, it boasts a notable assembly of 16th century to contemporary European and Canadian works, with most of the major European schools represented.

“Simply Splendour gathers everyday objects and drawings in an array of media, from the WAG’s lesser-known Decorative arts collection. This show pays homage to the many collectors and donors who have graciously entrusted these artworks to the WAG, while exploring the various techniques and materials used to create them. Manitoban history and art buffs will delight in this new perspective on their collection, even if it’s all virtual right now.”

—Dr. Stephen Borys, Director & CEO, Winnipeg Art Gallery   

Donors

The Everett Family with Lila Goodspeed Everett, Tannis M. Richardson.