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Gallery 2

Located upstairs in the museum, Gallery 2 features British and European paintings from the 1500s to the 1900s. It includes paintings that have been collected by the City over several hundred years.

Several of these paintings used to hang in St Mary's Guildhall. The most notable of these are Bacchus and Ariadne by Luca Giordano and King George III by Sir Thomas Lawrence. The Giordano was given to the City by Edward Ellice, MP for Coventry, in 1855. The Lawrence was commissioned by Coventry Corporation in 1792. Other highlights in the gallery include the Porter and the Hare by Johann Zoffany and Selling Fish by George Morland.

The pictures cover the walls of the gallery from floor to ceiling. Wealthy people have lined the walls of their houses in this way ever since the 1500s. When artists made these paintings they imagined they would be shown like this.

For Families

Families will be met with one of the Herbert's star pieces Bacchus and Ariadne by Luca Giordano. Covering a whole gallery wall this colourful piece has plenty of detail for families to explore.