Browse some of G F Watts's most remarkable artworks - from celebrated portraits to large-scale allegorical masterpieces.
George Frederic Watts was one of the most successful British artists of the 19th century, earning the nickname 'England's Michelangelo' from his contemporaries. In 1884 he was honoured with a solo exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and hailed as “the greatest painter since the old masters”.
Active for over 60 years as a painter, sculpture and fresco maker, our exhibition brings together highlights from Watts's vast career. Visitors can view Hope (1886) G F Watts's symbolic painting that influenced Barack Obama's The Audacity of Hope the title of both his address to the Democratic Convention in 2004 and the manifesto he published two years later.
A passionate activist, G F Watts used his artwork to make a statement on themes such as the Irish Famine and animal cruelty and you can view his Protest Paintings in the gallery.
Discover highlights from our collection and key loans including paintings, drawings and sculptures - many of Watts's most famous works can be seen at Watts Gallery.
Two hundred years after his birth, he [Watts] stands out as one of the most distinctive – and elusive – painters of his times. - Guardian
Two hundred years after his birth, he [Watts] stands out as one of the most distinctive – and elusive – painters of his times.
- Guardian
G F Watts, Eve Tempted, c.1868
George Frederic Watts, The Wounded Heron, 1837, oil on canvas
G F Watts, Clytie, c. 1865-69, bronze
George Frederic Watts, Self Portrait Aged Seventeen, 1834, oil on canvas