8 WINTERY WONDERS TO SEE AT THE BEANEY THIS CHRISTMAS

1. Winter: Through the Fells, Cumberland, the Drove in a Snowdrift [1900] by Thomas Sidney Cooper

IMG_1564Cooper travelled regularly to the north of England, Wales and Scotland to make studies for later use in paintings. He liked the rugged landscape of mountains and fells, which made a good setting for pictures of animals. Winter was part of a set of four paintings representing The Seasons exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1900.

2. Angels on the Staircase

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Artists in residence, Holder & Lamoon, have created beautiful trumpeting angels which are currently gracing our staircase. See if you can spot the other characters on your next visit…

3. Snowshoe

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If Canterbury is hit by snow this Winter, and someone can prize the cabinet keys from our Collections Manager, the Beaney team will be prepared with these mid-19th Century snowshoes! Made from wood, cloth and a large stretch of animal gut, these snowshoes were used by animal trappers in Central North Canada.

4. Christmas Wishes on WW1 Silk Embroidered Cards

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During WW1 silk postcards were bought as souvenirs by soldiers who were serving on the Western Front. Local French and Belgium women embroidered the different motifs onto strips of silk mesh which were sent to factories for cutting and mounting onto postcards. They are a brilliant example of an industry which appeared as a result of the war, and must have been a useful source of income for families in France and Belgium.

5. Sheep in the Snow [1901-2] by Thomas Sidney Cooper

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This is the last, and possibly most wintery, work painted by Cooper which was left unfinished on his easel when he died. Even at the age of ninety-nine, and with slightly failing eyesight, Cooper paints very realistic sheep, pinky-grey sky and drifts of soft, powdery snow.

6. Tea Cups and Saucers: The British art of keeping warm

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A hot cup of tea has never been more welcome than on a cold wintery evening, and our 19th Century dolls house has them in abundance. Sure, you won’t get more than a thimble full out of these tea pots and cups but they will make you want to rush home, put the kettle on and watch It’s A Wonderful Life on repeat.

7. ‘Towards the Light’ beneath the Christmas Tree

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‘Towards the Light’ is a new work by artists in residence, Holder & Lamoon, created especially for the space. Identifiable by their faces, but united with bodies as white as snow, the white light represents a unification of all religions in the search for the spiritual.

8. Winter Exhibition

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A round up of all things wintery at The Beaney this year wouldn’t complete without a visit to the Front Room gallery’s selling exhibition, Winter.
With pieces on display from dozens of Kent based artists, the joy of this exhibition lies in its individuality. Each piece captures the artists’ personal interpretation of what they believe to be the epitome of the season, resulting in a collection of work perfectly reflecting and celebrating all aspects of Winter. This exhibition is guaranteed to get you in the festive mood.

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Artefacts in exhibition case The Beaney Museum

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