Biography
Samuel Joshua Cooper (1830-1913) purchased the Gallery building in 1912 when its occupants, the Holgate Grammar School, moved premises to Shaw Lane. His intention was to provide an art gallery for the people of Barnsley and to place his own art collection there for all to freely enjoy. Sadly, Samuel died in 1913 and did not live to see the opening of the Gallery in 1914. Before his death he had arranged for a board of Trustees to establish and maintain the Gallery and the collection of 275 paintings and drawings.
The fine art collection at the Cooper Gallery includes works by British and European artists from the 17th to 21st centuries. Vibrant paintings by Vanessa Bell and Prunella Clough are accompanied by the beautiful drawings of John Ruskin, JMW Turner and Thomas Girtin. Expansive landscapes and seascapes contrast with portraits of royalty and views of people working the land.
