York Art Gallery’s nationally important collection of works by Italian Old Masters will be the subject of new research to be carried out this year by Eloise Donnelly, a curatorial trainee who joins the Gallery as part of the National Gallery’s Curatorial Traineeship programme  supported by the Art Fund.

The collection of 56 Italian paintings formed part of F.D Lycett Green’s gift of Old Masters to York Art Gallery in 1955.It includes works of art by some of the most significant masters of Italian painting, but has not been researched for several decades.  Eloise will study the collection and bring documentation up- to-date with the latest art historical scholarship

Eloise said:

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to research this remarkable collection of paintings. The breadth of subjects, styles and techniques displayed in these masterpieces present a really rich subject for study and I am looking forward to discovering more about their fascinating history.’

Laura Turner, Curator of Art, said:

“We are delighted that we were lucky enough to bring Eloise to York through the National Gallery’s Curatorial Traineeship programme, supported by the Art Fund. She will dedicate all of her time to studying the Lycett Green collection, drawing on her own knowledge but also that of specialist curators at the National Gallery. It gives us a great opportunity to dig deeper into the history of the collection and we hope it will reveal some fascinating new information on these internationally significant works.”

Eloise holds undergraduate and Masters degrees from Oxford University, and gained experience working for the National History Museum in London and for a gallery of Islamic and Middle Eastern art in Dubai. She has spent the last six months working at the National Gallery in preparation for coming to York.

Her research will be included in the display of the Lycett Green collection when York Art Gallery reopens in 2015 following its £8 million development.

With examples ranging from the 14th to the 18th Centuries, the Lycett Green Collection is one of the most comprehensive collections in the country, offering a strong insight into the history and development of Italian painting from the earliest seeds of the Renaissance right through to the distinguished vedute paintings associated with the European Grand Tour.

Two of the most celebrated works are Annibale Carracci’s Portrait of Monsignor Agucchi and Parmigianino’s Portrait of a Man with a Book.