The Ferens Art Gallery is named after industrialist and local MP Thomas Robinson Ferens funded the building of a new gallery which opened in 1927. Its real strength lies within its 20th Century Collection and has held on to Ferens' tenet 'to resist any temptation to buy any works that is not likely to be enduring in influence'. Literally all the major figures in Modern British Art are represented in Hull from the Camden Town Group onwards, and has been the recipient of over 100 artworks over nearly a century from the Contemporary Art Society. Part One: Eileen Agar to Eric Hubbard.

Artists featured in this Curation: Eileen Agar (1899–1991), Robert Weir Allan (1851–1942), John Arthur Malcolm Aldridge (1905–1983), Adrian Paul Allinson (1890–1959), Eileen Bessie Anderson (1888–1974), Kenneth Armitage (1916–2002), John Armstrong (1893–1973), Frank Helmuth Auerbach (1931–2024), Michael Ayrton (1921–1975), Delmar Harmood Banner (1896–1983), and 63 more
73 artworks
  • Eileen Agar (1899–1991)

    The Archer 1967
    Eileen Agar (1899–1991)
    Acrylic on canvas
    H 25 x W 35 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    The Archer
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Robert Weir Allan (1851–1942)

    Over the Sunlit Sea 1908
    Robert Weir Allan (1851–1942)
    Oil on canvas
    H 122.7 x W 183.8 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Over the Sunlit Sea
    Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • John Arthur Malcolm Aldridge (1905–1983)

    Landscape 1940s
    John Arthur Malcolm Aldridge (1905–1983)
    Oil on canvas
    H 50.8 x W 60.8 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Landscape
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Adrian Paul Allinson (1890–1959)

    At the Wintergarten, Berlin c.1913–1914
    Adrian Paul Allinson (1890–1959)
    Oil on canvas
    H 62 x W 92 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    At the Wintergarten, Berlin
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Eileen Bessie Anderson (1888–1974)

    Hilly Landscape c.1926
    Eileen Bessie Anderson (1888–1974)
    Oil on obeche panel
    H 17.2 x W 25 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Hilly Landscape
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Kenneth Armitage (1916–2002)

    Figure Lying on its Side, Version II 1957
    Kenneth Armitage (1916–2002)
    Bronze & slate base
    H 28 x W 77.5 x D 16.7 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Figure Lying on its Side, Version II
    © Kenneth Armitage Foundation / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • John Armstrong (1893–1973)

    On the Balustrade 1933
    John Armstrong (1893–1973)
    Tempera on board
    H 77.5 x W 63.5 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    On the Balustrade
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Frank Helmuth Auerbach (b.1931)

    Building Site, Victoria Street, London 1959
    Frank Helmuth Auerbach (1931–2024)
    Oil on board
    H 113 x W 142.2 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Building Site, Victoria Street, London
    © Ferens Art Gallery. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Michael Ayrton (1921–1975)

    Dark Sea (The Wave) 1946
    Michael Ayrton (1921–1975)
    Oil on plywood
    H 51 x W 68.5 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Dark Sea (The Wave)
    © Ferens Art Gallery. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Delmar Harmood Banner (1896–1983)

    Cross Fell from Calf, Sedbergh Fells, Cumbria c.1938–1942
    Delmar Harmood Banner (1896–1983)
    Oil on canvas
    H 74 x W 99 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Cross Fell from Calf, Sedbergh Fells, Cumbria
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • André Paulin Bertrand (1852–1940)

    The Gulf of Giens, France 1912
    André Paulin Bertrand (1852–1940)
    Oil on canvas
    H 133 x W 194.5 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    The Gulf of Giens, France
    Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Peter Blake (b.1932)

    The Lettermen 1962
    Peter Blake (b.1932)
    Oil on hardboard
    H 122 x W 182.8 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    The Lettermen
    © Peter Blake. All rights reserved, DACS 2024. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Tom Bogue (1860–1951)

    Whitby Moors, North Yorkshire 1913
    Tom Bogue (1860–1951)
    Oil on canvas
    H 53.5 x W 79 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Whitby Moors, North Yorkshire
    Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • David Bomberg (1890–1957)

    San Justo, Toledo, Spain 1929
    David Bomberg (1890–1957)
    Oil on canvas
    H 50.8 x W 66 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    San Justo, Toledo, Spain
    © the estate of David Bomberg. All rights reserved, DACS 2024. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Frank Brangwyn (1867–1956)

    Santa Maria della Salute, Venice (Venetian Anchors) (The Salute, Venice) c.1906 (repainted 1933)
    Frank Brangwyn (1867–1956)
    Oil on canvas
    H 147.5 x W 160 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Santa Maria della Salute, Venice (Venetian Anchors) (The Salute, Venice)
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • John Randall Bratby (1928–1992)

    The Toilet 1956
    John Randall Bratby (1928–1992)
    Oil on hardboard
    H 122 x W 77.5 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    The Toilet
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Gerald Leslie Brockhurst (1890–1978)

    By the Hills 1939
    Gerald Leslie Brockhurst (1890–1978)
    Oil on canvas
    H 76.2 x W 63.5 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    By the Hills
    © Ferens Art Gallery. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • John Alfred Arnesby Brown (1866–1955)

    The Pier 1905
    John Alfred Arnesby Brown (1866–1955)
    Oil on canvas
    H 99 x W 114.5 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    The Pier
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Frederick Brown (1851–1941)

    Portrait of the Artist 1926
    Frederick Brown (1851–1941)
    Oil on canvas
    H 97.5 x W 66 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Portrait of the Artist
    Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell (1883–1937)

    The Embroidered Cloak 1920s
    Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell (1883–1937)
    Oil on canvas
    H 74.3 x W 61.6 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    The Embroidered Cloak
    Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Richard Carline (1896–1980)

    Gathering on the Terrace at 47 Downshire Hill, Hampstead, London c.1924
    Richard Carline (1896–1980)
    Oil on canvas
    H 195 x W 161.3 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Gathering on the Terrace at 47 Downshire Hill, Hampstead, London
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: Bridgeman Images

  • David Carr (1915–1968)

    Self Portrait 1947
    David Carr (1915–1968)
    Oil on canvas
    H 76.3 x W 59.1 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Self Portrait
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Lynn Chadwick (1914–2003)

    Maquette for 'The Watchers' 1961
    Lynn Chadwick (1914–2003)
    Bronze
    H 296 x W 91 x D 90 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Maquette for 'The Watchers'
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • George Clausen (1852–1944)

    Sunrise in September 1924
    George Clausen (1852–1944)
    Oil on canvas
    H 72 x W 93 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Sunrise in September
    Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Isabel Codrington (1874–1943)

    Still Life, Vegetables c.1923
    Isabel Codrington (1874–1943)
    Oil on canvas
    H 60 x W 90 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Still Life, Vegetables
    Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Leslie Cole (1910–1976)

    The Kitchen of the First British Restaurant in Hull 1942
    Leslie Cole (1910–1976)
    Oil on canvas
    H 50 x W 63 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    The Kitchen of the First British Restaurant in Hull
    © Queen’s Printer and Controller of HMSO 2010. Reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office under the terms of the PSI Click-Use Licence. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Ithell Colquhoun (1906–1988)

    Feroze Mehta 1932
    Ithell Colquhoun (1906–1988)
    Oil on canvas
    H 53 x W 41 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Feroze Mehta
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Robert Colquhoun (1914–1962)

    Leaning Woman c.1956
    Robert Colquhoun (1914–1962)
    Oil on canvas
    H 61 x W 46 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Leaning Woman
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Charles Conder (1868–1909)

    Our Flag at Algeciras, Spain c.1905
    Charles Conder (1868–1909)
    Oil on canvas
    H 55 x W 85 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Our Flag at Algeciras, Spain
    Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Raymond James Coxon (1896–1997)

    Tremadoc c.1938
    Raymond James Coxon (1896–1997)
    Oil on canvas
    H 54 x W 64 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Tremadoc
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Dennis Creffield (1931–2018)

    Leeds, from the Roof of the University 1965
    Dennis Creffield (1931–2018)
    Oil on canvas
    H 101 x W 126.3 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Leeds, from the Roof of the University
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Charles Ernest Cundall (1890–1971)

    Quebec, Canada 1939
    Charles Ernest Cundall (1890–1971)
    Oil on canvas
    H 44.5 x W 75 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Quebec, Canada
    © Ferens Art Gallery. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • John Davies (b.1946)

    Man with Two Cloths 1974–1975
    John Davies (b.1946)
    Polyester, resin, fibreglass, paint, clothing & PVA
    H 182 x W 96 x D 30 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Man with Two Cloths
    © the artist. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Robyn Denny (1930–2014)

    Painting 1957
    Robyn Denny (1930–2014)
    Oil & collage on hardboard
    H 133 x W 122.1 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Painting
    © Estate of Robyn Denny. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2024. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Frank Dobson (1886–1963)

    Margaret Rawlings (1906–1996) 1946
    Frank Dobson (1886–1963)
    Bronze
    H 57.2 x W 55.8 x D 53.2 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Margaret Rawlings (1906–1996)
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Francis Dodd (1874–1949)

    Miss Isobel Dacre (1844–1943) 1925
    Francis Dodd (1874–1949)
    Oil on canvas on plywood
    H 76 x W 56 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Miss Isobel Dacre (1844–1943)
    Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Pat Douthwaite (1934–2002)

    Belle Starr (1848–1889) 1979
    Pat Douthwaite (1934–2002)
    Oil on canvas
    H 183 x W 122 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Belle Starr (1848–1889)
    © the Estate of Pat Douthwaite. All rights reserved. DACS 2024. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • John Downton (1906–1991)

    Self Portrait c.1928
    John Downton (1906–1991)
    Oil on mahogany panel
    H 34.7 x W 24 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Self Portrait
    © Ferens Art Gallery. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • William D. Dring (1904–1990)

    Harwich Harbour with HMS 'Princess Elizabeth' 1941
    William D. Dring (1904–1990)
    Oil on canvas
    H 58 x W 88 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Harwich Harbour with HMS 'Princess Elizabeth'
    © Queen’s Printer and Controller of HMSO 2010. Reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office under the terms of the PSI Click-Use Licence. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Malcolm Drummond (1880–1945)

    In the Cinema c.1913
    Malcolm Drummond (1880–1945)
    Oil on canvas
    H 70 x W 70 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    In the Cinema
    Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Edmund Dulac (1882–1953)

    Elizabeth Allhusen 1922
    Edmund Dulac (1882–1953)
    Oil & gold paint on canvas on panel
    H 48.2 x W 35.5 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Elizabeth Allhusen
    Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Ronald Ossory Dunlop (1894–1973)

    The Orange Scarf c.1934
    Ronald Ossory Dunlop (1894–1973)
    Oil on canvas
    H 60 x W 50 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    The Orange Scarf
    © Ferens Art Gallery. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Frederick William Elwell (1870–1958)

    The Badminton Court 1926
    Frederick William Elwell (1870–1958)
    Oil on plywood
    H 91.5 x W 71 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    The Badminton Court
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Jacob Epstein (1880–1959)

    Isabel 1933
    Jacob Epstein (1880–1959)
    Bronze
    H 72.5 x W 66.8 x D 41.9 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Isabel
    © The estate of Sir Jacob Epstein / Tate Images. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Richard Ernst Eurich (1903–1992)

    Marine Harvest 1949
    Richard Ernst Eurich (1903–1992)
    Oil on canvas
    H 55.9 x W 60.9 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Marine Harvest
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • David Shanks Ewart (1901–1965)

    These Shall Our Hearts Remember 1928
    David Shanks Ewart (1901–1965)
    Oil on canvas
    H 170.5 x W 79.5 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    These Shall Our Hearts Remember
    © Ferens Art Gallery. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Daphne Fedarb (1912–1992)

    Still Life with an Antique Head c.1942
    Daphne Fedarb (1912–1992)
    Oil on canvas
    H 61 x W 73 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Still Life with an Antique Head
    © Ferens Art Gallery. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • John Duncan Fergusson (1874–1961)

    Beau Site (Margaret Morris, 1891–1980, the Dancer) 1923
    John Duncan Fergusson (1874–1961)
    Oil on canvas
    H 76.5 x W 66 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Beau Site (Margaret Morris, 1891–1980, the Dancer)
    © Courtesy of Culture Perth & Kinross Museums & Galleries.. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • James Fitton (1899–1982)

    Church Landscape c.1933
    James Fitton (1899–1982)
    Oil on canvas
    H 100 x W 120 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Church Landscape
    © Ferens Art Gallery. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Stanhope Alexander Forbes (1857–1947)

    At Their Moorings 1906
    Stanhope Alexander Forbes (1857–1947)
    Oil on canvas
    H 103 x W 159.5 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    At Their Moorings
    Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Meredith Frampton (1894–1984)

    A Game of Patience 1937
    Meredith Frampton (1894–1984)
    Oil on canvas
    H 106.7 x W 78.7 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    A Game of Patience
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: Bridgeman Images

  • Kenneth Fowler (b.1955)

    The Exhibition 1983
    Kenneth Fowler (b.1955)
    Oil on hardboard
    H 89.6 x W 101.6 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    1983, oil on hardboard by Kenneth Fowler (b.1955)
    The Exhibition
    © the artist. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Thomas Freeth (1912–1994)

    Armoured Command Vehicles 1942
    Thomas Freeth (1912–1994)
    Oil on canvas
    H 20 x W 24 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Armoured Command Vehicles
    © Queen’s Printer and Controller of HMSO 2010. Reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office under the terms of the PSI Click-Use Licence. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Elisabeth Frink (1930–1993)

    Maquette for 'Birdman' c.1989
    Elisabeth Frink (1930–1993)
    Bronze
    H 51.5 x W 17.9 x D 15.6 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Maquette for 'Birdman'
    © The Executors of the Frink Estate and Archive. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2024. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Terry Frost (1915–2003)

    Force 8 1960
    Terry Frost (1915–2003)
    Oil on canvas
    H 221 x W 173 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Force 8
    © Ferens Art Gallery. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • George Fullard (1923–1973)

    Night Crossing 1966
    George Fullard (1923–1973)
    Wood, metal & paint
    H 55.2 x W 52 x D 12.7 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Night Crossing
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Harold Gilman (1876–1919)

    Clarence Gardens NW, London c.1912
    Harold Gilman (1876–1919)
    Oil on canvas
    H 50.8 x W 61 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Clarence Gardens NW, London
    Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Charles Ginner (1878–1952)

    The Winged Faun 1926
    Charles Ginner (1878–1952)
    Oil on canvas
    H 90 x W 60 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    The Winged Faun
    Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Simon Goldberg (1916–2002)

    O'Connell Street, Dublin 1962
    Simon Goldberg (1916–2002)
    Oil on hardboard
    H 91.5 x W 121.9 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    O'Connell Street, Dublin
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Walter Goodin (1907–1992)

    Odds and Ends c.1938
    Walter Goodin (1907–1992)
    Oil on panel
    H 82.3 x W 102.5 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Odds and Ends
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Spencer Gore (1878–1914)

    Still Life with Apples c.1912
    Spencer Gore (1878–1914)
    Oil on canvas
    H 38.2 x W 50.8 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Still Life with Apples
    Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Duncan Grant (1885–1978)

    Haystacks 1933
    Duncan Grant (1885–1978)
    Oil on canvas
    H 53 x W 78 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Haystacks
    © Ferens Art Gallery. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Bernard Hailstone (1910–1987)

    Signing On in a Hull Mercantile Marine Office c.1939–1945
    Bernard Hailstone (1910–1987)
    Oil on canvas
    H 88 x W 100.5 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Signing On in a Hull Mercantile Marine Office
    © Queen’s Printer and Controller of HMSO 2010. Reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office under the terms of the PSI Click-Use Licence. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Clifford Hall (1904–1973)

    Evening: Street Scene, Antwerp c.1965
    Clifford Hall (1904–1973)
    Acrylic on board
    H 76.2 x W 57.2 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Evening: Street Scene, Antwerp
    © Estate of Clifford Hall/cliffordhallpainter.com. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Nina Hamnett (1890–1956)

    The Student 1917
    Nina Hamnett (1890–1956)
    Oil on canvas
    H 80 x W 58 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    The Student
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Benjamin Haughton (1865–1924)

    Hush of Evening c.1900
    Benjamin Haughton (1865–1924)
    Oil on panel
    H 29 x W 35.5 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Hush of Evening
    Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Barbara Hepworth (1903–1975)

    Icon II 1960
    Barbara Hepworth (1903–1975)
    Carrara marble
    H 61 x W 50.3 x D 83.8 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Icon II
    © Bowness. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Tristram Paul Hillier (1905–1983)

    Derelict Lead Mine 1940s
    Tristram Paul Hillier (1905–1983)
    Oil on canvas
    H 60 x W 81 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Derelict Lead Mine
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Ivon Hitchens (1893–1979)

    Woodland Landscape 1940
    Ivon Hitchens (1893–1979)
    Oil on canvas
    H 50 x W 102.5 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Woodland Landscape
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Roger Hilton (1911–1975)

    Dark Form on Yellow 1959
    Roger Hilton (1911–1975)
    Oil on canvas
    H 121.8 x W 101.6 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Dark Form on Yellow
    © Ferens Art Gallery. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • David Hockney (b.1937)

    Life Painting for Myself 1962
    David Hockney (b.1937)
    Oil on canvas
    H 121.9 x W 91.4 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Life Painting for Myself
    © David Hockney. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Peter Howson (b.1958)

    Mr Great Heart 1996
    Peter Howson (b.1958)
    Oil on canvas
    H 244 x W 183 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Mr Great Heart
    © Peter Howson. All rights reserved, DACS 2024. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery

  • Eric Hesketh Hubbard (1892–1957)

    Lobster Boats c.1933
    Eric Hesketh Hubbard (1892–1957)
    Oil on canvas
    H 44.5 x W 59 cm
    Ferens Art Gallery
    Lobster Boats
    © Ferens Art Gallery. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery