Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge

Richard Fitzwilliam 7th Viscount was educated at Trinity college Cambridge, which was founded by Henry V111 in 1546. It is stated that people such as spies, princes, poets and prime ministers have studied at this college. He graduated from trinity college in 1764. He is most well known for his bequest to Cambridge University of his works of art and library collection, intended to 'increase the learning', in 1816. His bequest included 144 paintings, 500 folio albums of engravings, 130 medieval manuscripts and a collection of autographed music. This building, which we now know as the museum, was designed by an english architect Elias George Basevi in 1835, who also designed Belgrave square in London. He died in 1845 after falling through an opening in the floor in an old bell chamber of the west tower of Ely cathedral and is now buried there in the north choir aisle. The Fitzwilliam opened to the public in 1848 and is still open today with an even larger collection.

It is stated that the Fitzwilliam has one of 'the most significant' collection of flower and botanical paintings, drawings and watercolours 'in the world'. This is largely due to the bequest of Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Lord Fairhaven of 100 paintings, many floral miniatures, over 900 drawings and watercolours as well as 38 albums to the museum. The artwork ranges from the 17th to 19th century and is a collection of artists from countries such as England, china, Germany and France. In addition he also bequeathed a significant number of watercolours by the first German 17th Century female entomologist Maria Sibylla Merian. I particularly liked these paintings due to the intensity of the colour of the flowers against the dark backgrounds which helped to create focus and a focal point onto the flowers.

The collection of paintings in the Fitzwilliam consists of around 1700 works ranging from the 13th to the 21st century. Including oil paintings by Turner and constable.

This sculpture is by the artist Ruth Padel and Issam Kourbaj to mark the sixth anniversary of the uprising in syria. It is called 'Dark water, Burning world'. It is inspired by the fifth century BC Syrian vessels. It is influenced by Padel's poem Lesbos which she wrote after her meetings with inhabitants and thousands of Syrians who fled to Lesbos beach. The poem is written below...

…'And their stories our stories

steered by the small star-light of cell phones waves like rings of a tree rings of the centuries

rocking and spilling on the windy sea

as if water kept its shape after the jug has broken

one shining petrified moment before the shattered pieces fall away.'