Self portrait, Shani Rhys James
'Self Portrait', Shani Rhys James
'Head', bronze bust, Robert Mitchell
'Head', Robert Mitchell
'Newport High Street, Edgar J. Maybery
'Newport High Street', E.J. Maybery

Art

Newport Museum and Art Gallery cares for over 7,300 works of art including works by Sir Stanley Spencer, L.S. Lowry, Dame Laura Knight, Stanhope Forbes and James Flewitt Mullock, a 19th century Newport artist.  

The collections illustrate the changing face of south Wales’ rural and industrial landscape and include donations from the Arts Council of Wales and the Contemporary Art Society for Wales.  

Limited display space in the Gallery means we cannot show everything at all times, please call in advance if you wish to see a particular piece.  

Many of our two-dimensional works have been digitised and can be viewed online. To access images of most paintings in the art collections visit the Art UK website.  

For a selection of watercolour drawings and other works on paper visit the People’s Collection Wales.  

The Wartime Newport: the Home Front website illustrates the role of the Royal Ordnance Factory in Newport during the Second World War.

Frequently asked questions

How many works are in the art collection?

Newport Museum and Art Gallery cares for over 7,300 works of art which include:

• Over 500 paintings, most of which are oil paintings

• Approximately 2,900 drawings including 1,100 watercolour drawings

• Approximately 1,500 prints ranging from historical engravings to contemporary lithographs

• Approximately 2,450 works of decorative art including decorative ceramics, commemorative ware and studio pottery  

How many works are on display?

On average around 1,100 works of decorative art are on display, mainly the John and Elizabeth Wait teapots display and the Iris and John Fox display of decorative ceramics.  

There are usually around 100 paintings and other 2-dimensional works on display and this varies depending on the theme and contents of temporary exhibitions.  

What is the value of the art collection?

We do not focus on the financial value of an item in the collection, it is its historical and local significance or artistic value which counts.

We therefore do not value all individual items and works of art, collections have been valued as a whole for general insurance purposes.  

Why are there so few drawings on display?

Works on paper are very sensitive to light and can only be displayed for a limited period of time.

Light levels in the area where works on paper are on display need to be reduced.

Many temporary exhibitions in the art gallery focus on drawings, documents or prints.

Have a look on the What’s On page to see what is exhibited at the moment and what is coming up.

>Fox Collection

>Hildred Collection

>Wait Collection