Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery

Originally called the Bristol Institution for the Advancement of Science and Art, the organisation was taken over by Bristol City Council 1894 when the tobacco merchant, William Henry Wills, donated money for the building of a city art gallery. The gallery was opened to the public in 1905.

Bristol's collection covers a wide range of work, including paintings from the 15th century such as Lucas Cranach the Elder, through Georgian England represented by Thomas Gainsborough to the French Post-Impressionist such as Edouard Vuillard. There are also a selection of Victorian paintings by Lawrence Alma Tadema and good examples by the Pre-Raphaelites.

The modern collection is dominated by the work of 20th century British artists such as Ruskin Spear and Carel Weight and members of the St. Ives School. Contemporary artists like Richard Long and Ann Sutton also populate the collection.