The Wye Tour and its Artists at Chepstow Museum

A major exhibition of over 70 watercolours on loan from the national collections in London as well as Wales, and from museums around the UK is being staged at Chepstow, the endpoint of the Wye Tour - Britain’s first ‘package tour’. Guest curator Julian Mitchell* has selected his ‘best and most interesting’ watercolours of the Lower Wye Valley. Here are the sites viewed and visited by the first tourists who came down the river in canopied rowing boats from Ross-on-Wye to Chepstow on a two day trip in the late 18th and early 19th century. They followed in the wake of the Rev William Gilpin those book popularised the tour and the quest for ‘picturesque’ scenery - landscapes that could make, or be compared to, paintings. Many amateurs as well as professional artists came to capture the scenes. This exhibition features works by the masters from that great age of British watercolours, including Turner, Paul Sandby, Michael ‘Angelo’ Rooker, Thomas Hearne, Edward Dayes, John & Cornelius Varley, Samuel Palmer, David Cox, Joshua Cristall…

This exhibition has been made possible through a grant from the Cyfoeth Cymru Gyfan – Sharing Treasures scheme which is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and administered by CyMAL: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales.
The scheme enables local Welsh museums to build partnerships with Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales and with their expertise, advice and support to upgrade facilities so that the museum can borrow and display objects from the British national collections, giving the museum and its community access to the nation’s great treasures.

There will also be a programme of associated events and activities throughout the exhibition, please contact the Museum for a programme.

*Julian Mitchell - best known as playwright and screenplay writer – Another Country, Wilde, Inspector Morse etc, but also historian who lives in Monmouthshire and whose passion for the works of art that the area has inspired has led to twenty five years of study and scholarship