Biography
The Hatton Gallery is located on the Newcastle University campus in Newcastle City Centre. It has been at the heart of cultural life in the North East since the early 20th century. It was founded in 1925 and named in honour of Professor Richard George Hatton, professor of what was then the King Edward VII School of Art, Armstrong College, Durham University. He subsequently became Head of the Department of Fine Art at Newcastle University.
Its diverse collection includes over 3,000 works from the 14th – 20th centuries. Key moderrn pieces include work by Mark Gertler, Francis Bacon, Richard Hamilton, Prunella Clough Thomas Bewick, Eduardo Paolozzi, Patrick Heron, William Roberts, Victor Pasmore and Richard Ansdell. Watercolours by Wyndham Lewis, Thomas Hair and Robert Jobling are also held.
It holds a pivotal place in the development of Pop Art and collage in Britain, adjacent to Newcastle University’s art school where Victor Pasmore, Richard Hamilton and Eduardo Paolozzi were influential teachers. The Hatton Gallery is also home to Kurt Schwitters’ Merz Barn Wall (1948) which was brought to the gallery in 1965 and incorporated into the fabric of the building. It also has extensive archive material including paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings and textiles, and material connected to the history of the gallery, such as exhibition posters designed and printed in the art school.
In October 2017 the Hatton Gallery underwent a £3.8 million redevelopment to conserve the historic and architectural elements of the Grade II listed building while creating a modern exhibition space. The Hatton stages a programme of modern and contemporary art exhibitions, and events including artist and curator talks and family activities. It works closely with students from Newcastle University and exhibits their work on an annual basis.
