Elizabeth II: a queen in the spotlight | Art UK Elizabeth II is perhaps the most famous monarch of modern times. Ascending the throne in 1952, Elizabeth II was the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch in history at a staggering 70 years. She was also the longest-serving female head of state in world history.

Today marks 100 years since the birth of Queen Elizabeth II 🎈

Explore artworks of the most famous monarch of modern times 👉 artuk.org/discover/stories/elizabe...

'Queen Elizabeth II' by Michael Leonard (1933–2023) © National Portrait Gallery, London.

Happy National Tea Day!

Verity Babbs tell us more about this artwork by Isabel Codrington to celebrate ☕

'Evening' by Isabel Codrington (1874–1943) 📷 Manchester Art Gallery

New The Superpower of Looking learning resource! 🥖

Jazz musician YolanDa Brown heads to The Wallace Collection to take a closer look at the painting.

👉 artuk.org/learn/learning-resources...

📸 The Wallace Collection

Sculpture of two white staircases that lead to nowhere and form a V shape, overlapping at the base with each other. The sculpture is in a classical museum interior with stone columns in the background

Happy birthday to Rachel Whiteread 🎂

Explore the artist's work on Art UK 👉 artuk.org/discover/artworks/search...

'Untitled (Stairs)' by Rachel Whiteread (b.1963) © Rachel Whiteread, courtesy of Gagosian Gallery, London 📸 Tate

The Orcadian landscape painter Sylvia Wishart has often been described as a visionary.

Read more in this new story 👉 artuk.org/discover/stories/sylvia-...

🧑‍🎨 Sylvia Wishart (1936–2008) © the artist's estate. 📷 Orkney Islands Council

Portrait of a woman with dark hair styled in a low bun, wearing a blue garment with a white collar, facing away from the viewer.

Two fern leaves, one yellowish and one green, displayed on a textured light gray background.

A winding dirt path lined with tall, leafy trees under a partly cloudy sky with a person walking along it.

Read about Joséphine Bowes, a French actress who built a world-class art collection for the north of England.

👉 artuk.org/discover/stories/josephi...

🧑‍🎨 Joséphine Bowes (1825–1874) 📷 The Bowes Museum

We’re constantly adding new artworks to Art UK, with now over one million to discover!

Here are some new ceramic additions from Aberystwyth University School of Art Museum and Galleries

🧑‍🎨 1) Grainne Watts / 2) Bronwen Grieves (active since 1986) / 3) Euan Craig (b.1964) © the artists.

Step into the red-walled Victoria Gallery at The McManus, Dundee 🖼️

This year marks the bicentenary of Royal Scottish Academy, see how you can celebrate at The McManus 👉 www.mcmanus.co.uk/news/leisure-culture-dun...

#RSA200

Thanks for taking part in this week's #OnlineArtExchange 🙌

Next week's theme is spring 🌸 Let's hope for some nicer weather!

'English Rose & British Beef' Charlotte Dawson © the artist.

📣 Keep a look out for our latest The Superpower of Looking resource, launching this Monday.

The resource focuses on 'A Boy Bringing Bread' by Pieter de Hooch.

'A Boy Bringing Bread' by Pieter de Hooch (1629–1684) 📸 The Wallace Museum

New Head of Service for Museum Data Service 📣

We are delighted to announce that Dr Mia Ridge @miaout.bsky.social will become Head of Service for Museum Data Service, the transformative initiative which is connecting all the object records across the UK’s museums

👉 artuk.org/discover/sto...

Big news! I'm incredibly privileged to take on leadership of the Museum Data Service while continuing half-time in my role at the British Library. The MDS is already a success story, and I'm so excited about taking it further! artuk.org/discover/sto...

Pre-Raphaelite artist Ford Madox Brown was born #OnThisDay in 1821.

Discover the sad story behind his unfinished work 'Take your Son, Sir'

👉 artuk.org/discover/stories/unfinis...

📸 Tate

Two figures walk along a path beside a river with rows of houses and smoking factory chimneys on the hills

Today's #OnlineArtExchange is ‘artists from working class backgrounds’ for Artists from Working-Class Backgrounds at @lulgalleries.bsky.social

We have selected: 'Nightshift Going Home' by George Poole (1915–2000) from: Working Class Movement Library

© the artist's estate.

White and black text on a bright yellow background reads "[uz], [uz], [uz]: Artists from Working-Class Backgrounds"

[uz], [uz], [uz]: Artists from Working-Class Backgrounds, our exhibition at The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery, is the theme of today's #OnlineArtExchange 🙌

All day we'll be highlighting artists in the exhibition whose works appear on @artukdotorg.bsky.social

We can't wait to see your picks!

Colourful painting of a bay with rows of buildings along the far coastline and people walking dogs in the near foreground. The sky has rolling clouds.

Graphic painting of two wrestlers fighting in shades of brown, red and yellow against a bright blue background.

[uz], [uz], [uz] Featured Artist: Arthur Kitching

Born in Sheffield, Kitching spent a year at Sheffield College of Art, but was otherwise self-taught. The places he lived, and the people around him, provided the main focus of his work.

#OnlineArtExchange @artukdotorg.bsky.social

A harbour scene with a fisherman holding a rope and a sail, speaking to two women above. Boats with red/brown sails are anchored in a harbour. The mood is industrious and communal.

Today’s @artukdotorg.bsky.social #OnlineArtExchange explores artists from working-class backgrounds for [uz], [uz], [uz].

We’ve chosen Between the Tides by Walter Langley. Langley, who came from a poor, working-class background himself, was deeply moved by the lives of coastal communities.

Painting of a field with golden haystacks and trees

Today is World Art Day!

This is ‘Field with Haystacks, Wanstead’, painted by local artist Arthur Parsons in 1921. The golden countryside scene depicted here reminds us of the work of van Gogh 🌾

Find out more via @artukdotorg.bsky.social: artuk.org/discover/art...

Today's #OnlineArtExchange is ‘artists from working class backgrounds’ for Artists from Working-Class Backgrounds at Leeds Uni Library Galleries.

Discover five working-class women artists 👉 buff.ly/F9ueaus

🧑‍🎨 Käthe Kollwitz (1867–1945) 📷 The Higgins

Colourful painting of two people at a table filled with fruit, pottery, and a layered cake in a vibrant room with red walls and blue curtains.

Tomorrow's #OnlineArtExchange is ‘artists from working class backgrounds’ for Artists from Working-Class Backgrounds at The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery, Leeds Uni Library Galleries.

This work features in the show 🖼️

'Comfort Food' © Beth Smith. University of Leeds Libraries, Art Collection.

1) 📷 Katey Goodwin

2) 'Gro Garden QEUH Hospital' by Artpistol (active since 2011) © the artist. 📷 Gordon Baird / Art UK

3) 'Mind Garden' by Laura Sheldon (b.1987) © the artist. 📷 Susan Dawson / Art UK

🎨 Happy World Art Day 🎉

This year's theme is 'a garden of expression: cultivating community through art'.

Read more about how murals are bringing colour and community to our streets👉 artuk.org/discover/stories/murals-...

Fantastic curations! Thanks for sharing 🤩

Image of portrait of Dr Kathryn Riddle painted by Keith Robinson in 2017. Portrait depicts Dr Riddle seated wearing blue and gold ceremonial gowns.

We have 3 new Curations on Art UK @artukdotorg.bsky.social 🎉

These Curations have been created by students and volunteers Helena, Sharron and Jarrad and feature items in our Heritage Collection.

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SCHA on Art UK ➡️ tinyurl.com/b34ymmm2

The moon in art Take a look at how artists throughout the ages have captured the moon through some wonderful lunar art

Artemis II has inspired us to look at some dreamy lunar art 🤩🌕

Take a look 👉 artuk.org/discover/sto...

'Moon Reflected in a Turtle Pool, Seychelles' by Marianne North (1830–1890) 📷 Kew Gardens

We recently visited @abdnartmuseums.bsky.social to explore the exhibition, 'Works on Paper: Women Artists.'

Watch the full episode 👉 https://youtu.be/T82CrP5TTsU?si=HT43idh7wscdTKgR

'Sun Circles and Clouds,' 1978, pencil on paper by Bet Low (1924–2007) © the artist's estate.

Love this! 🐶

🪴 It's International Plant Appreciation Day

Verity Babbs tells us more about 'Aspidistra' by Samuel John Peploe (1871–1935)

Aspidistra is apparently a plant which is 'very tolerant of neglect' – the kind of plant we can appreciate today!

📷 @abdnartmuseums.bsky.social

Portrait of a woman with dark hair styled in a low bun, wearing a blue garment with a white collar, facing away from the viewer.

Two fern leaves, one yellowish and one green, displayed on a textured light gray background.

A winding dirt path lined with tall, leafy trees under a partly cloudy sky with a person walking along it.

Read about Joséphine Bowes, a French actress who built a world-class art collection for the north of England.

👉 artuk.org/discover/stories/josephi...

🧑‍🎨 Joséphine Bowes (1825–1874) 📷 The Bowes Museum

Modernist painting of a women with a 1920s hairstyle sitting wrapped in an embroidered cloak. The cloak is blue with a red and green pattern. The background is a light purple-y blue

Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell was born #OnThisDay ✨

Discover the story of the Scottish Colourist 👉 artuk.org/discover/stories/the-mak...

'The Embroidered Cloak' by Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell (1883–1937) 📸 Ferens Art Gallery