Johan Zoffany, ‘The Bradshaw Family,’ 1769 © Tate

Family Matters: The Family in British Art is an ambitious touring exhibition that shows how the subject of the family has been and continues to be a challenging yet enduring subject for artists.

Divided thematically, the exhibition showcases the best of British art with works by David Hockney, Anthony van Dyck, William Hogarth and Tracey Emin. Contemporary and historic works are juxtaposed to show how the traditional family portrait has been replaced with a more frank portrayal of the family. Formal portraits were frequently staged for political or personal purposes, whereas the more recent works offer a view that can only be described as ‘behind the scenes’ creating a tension between the public and private portrayal of the family.

Family Matters: The Family in British Art will run from 15th Octo0ber 2012 to 24th February 2013 at Tate Britain.

John Michael Wright, Portrait of Mrs Salesbury with her Grandchildren Edward and Elizabeth bagot (1675-6

Family Matters: The Family in British Art is an ambitious touring exhibition that shows how the subject of the family has been and continues to be a challenging yet enduring subject for artists.

Divided thematically, the exhibition showcases the best of British art with works by David Hockney, Anthony van Dyck, William Hogarth and Tracey Emin. Contemporary and historic works are juxtaposed to show how the traditional family portrait has been replaced with a more frank portrayal of the family. Formal portraits were frequently staged for political or personal purposes, whereas the more recent works offer a view that can only be described as ‘behind the scenes’ creating a tension between the public and private portrayal of the family.

This tension between inside and outside, appearance and reality, can be traced across a number of the works by artists including Thomas Gainsborough and Johann Zoffany, British contemporary artists Richard Billingham and Rachel Whiteread, as well as international artists Thomas Struth and Zineb Sedira. The five thematic sections – Inheritance; Childhood; Parenting; Couples & Kinship; Home - reveal a world of shifting certainties for the British family through a range of media, including film and photography, painting and sculpture.

Information will be coming soon on The Laing Gallery Website.

The Family in British Art charts the depiction of the family over 400 years of British Art. What is a family and what is the idea of family? How have notions of the family changed over time?

The Family in British Art explores the ways artists have formulated and explored these questions. It looks at how artists have shown the importance of the family in private and public life, and asks what role ideas of family have played in shaping our national and cultural identity. The family is at the heart of complex human relationships and encounters, so we should not be surprised to find representations of family that are full of argument, contradiction and paradox.

Previous explorations of the family in British art have focused on particular social and economic issues, or art historical periods. By contrast The Family in British Art brings together representations of the family across different periods and media to examine the changing nature of the family and its representations over time. By placing historical and contemporary works side by side, The Family in British Art traces how artists have explored notions of family for personal or political purposes.

More information can be found at the Museums Sheffield Website.

John Michael Wright, Portrait of Mrs Salesbury with her Grandchildren Edward and Elizabeth Bagot (1675-6)

Family Matters: The Family in British Art is an ambitious touring exhibition that shows how the subject of the family has been and continues to be a challenging yet enduring subject for artists. Divided thematically, the exhibition showcases the best of British art with works by David Hockney, Anthony van Dyck, William Hogarth and Tracey Emin. Contemporary and historic works are juxtaposed to show how the traditional family portrait has been replaced with a more frank portrayal of the family. Formal portraits were frequently staged for political or personal purposes, whereas the more recent works offer a view that can only be described as ‘behind the scenes’ creating a tension between the public and private portrayal of the family.

This tension between inside and outside, appearance and reality, can be traced across a number of the works by artists including Thomas Gainsborough and Johann Zoffany, British contemporary artists Richard Billingham and Rachel Whiteread, as well as international artists Thomas Struth and Zineb Sedira. The five thematic sections – Inheritance; Childhood; Parenting; Couples & Kinship; Home - reveal a world of shifting certainties for the British family through a range of media, including film and photography, painting and sculpture.

A full programme of events and activities accompanies this exhibition.

If ever there was an artist whose reputation deserves restoration, it’s John Martin (1789–1854). Described by The Times as ‘the painter with the power to stop even a bored teenager in his gallery-traipsing tracks’, Martin’s dramatic images have inspired everything over the years from sci-fi films to heavy metal album covers. Yet, compared to contemporaries like Constable and Turner, he was largely snubbed by the art establishment of his day – John Ruskin was a particularly vocal critic! Instead, Martin developed his audience from the grass roots – relying on an eye for enthralling subjects and tireless touring of his paintings to build his popularity.

This exhibition, the first major show of Martin’s work in over 30 years, will showcase some of his most dramatic oil paintings, including Belshazzar’s Feast and The Great Day of His Wrath. Appearing in Sheffield before it tours to Tate Britain later this year, John Martin, Painting the Apocalypse will also explore Martin’s enduring influence on cinema and popular culture.

John Martin, Painting the Apocalypse is part of the Great British Art Debate, a partnership project between Museums Sheffield, Tate, Norfolk Museums and Archaeology Service, and Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums.

Find out more about the show at Museums Sheffield.