Curations

20th Century Spotlight: Usher Gallery, Lincoln

David Saywell, Head of Digital Assets

Usher Gallery

The Usher Gallery opened in Lincoln in a purpose-built gallery in 1927 and is named after a local jeweller James Ward Usher (1845-1921) who generously bequeathed his collection and a sum of money to build a gallery. Its 20th Century Collection has developed thanks to gifts from the Contemporary Art Society (including works by Sickert, Lowry, Frost and Wynter), the Dora M. Bond Bequest (a husband and wife collection: works by Hitchens, Potter and Redpath) and the J.R. Hesham Trust; James Reginald Hesham was a Lincoln-born businessman who donated works by Grant, Munnings and Piper.

Artists featured in this Curation: Laurence Stephen Lowry (1887–1976), Anna Airy (1882–1964), Craigie Ronald John Aitchison (1926–2009), John Arthur Malcolm Aldridge (1905–1983), Frederick Appleyard (1874–1963), Barbara Balmer (1929–2017), Antonin Karel Bartl (1912–1998), Vanessa Bell (1879–1961), George Alfred Boden (1888–1956), Boyd & Evans (b.1944 & b.1945), and 46 more
56 artworks
Storyline Album Showcase

  • Laurence Stephen Lowry (1887–1976)

    Britain at Play 1943
    Laurence Stephen Lowry (1887–1976)
    Oil on canvas
    H 45.7 x W 61 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Britain at Play
    © The Estate of L.S. Lowry. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2025. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Anna Airy (1882–1964)

    Children Blackberrying
    Anna Airy (1882–1964)
    Oil on canvas
    H 61 x W 76.2 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Children Blackberrying
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Craigie Ronald John Aitchison (1926–2009)

    The Tree 1968
    Craigie Ronald John Aitchison (1926–2009)
    Oil on canvas
    H 25.2 x W 20.5 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    The Tree
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • John Arthur Malcolm Aldridge (1905–1983)

    Still Life 1958
    John Arthur Malcolm Aldridge (1905–1983)
    Oil on canvas
    H 45.7 x W 63.5 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Still Life
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Frederick Appleyard (1874–1963)

    Cleethorpes Foreshore, Lincolnshire 1930
    Frederick Appleyard (1874–1963)
    Oil on panel
    H 51 x W 61 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Cleethorpes Foreshore, Lincolnshire
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Barbara Balmer (1929–2017)

    Deserted Cemetery 1995
    Barbara Balmer (1929–2017)
    Oil on canvas
    H 120 x W 151 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Deserted Cemetery
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Antonin Karel Bartl (1912–1998)

    Portrait of an Architect
    Antonin Karel Bartl (1912–1998)
    Oil on board
    H 70 x W 53.5 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Portrait of an Architect
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Vanessa Bell (1879–1961)

    Zinnias 1943
    Vanessa Bell (1879–1961)
    Oil on canvas
    H 61.2 x W 50.3 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Zinnias
    © estate of Vanessa Bell. All rights reserved, DACS 2025. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • George Alfred Boden (1888–1956)

    Breton Oxcart
    George Alfred Boden (1888–1956)
    Oil on board
    H 61 x W 81 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Breton Oxcart
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Boyd & Evans (b.1944 & b.1945)

    Looking Out 1974
    Boyd & Evans (b.1944 & b.1945)
    Oil on canvas
    H 122 x W 121.5 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Looking Out
    © Boyd & Evans. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Peter Brannan (1926–1994)

    Street Scene
    Peter Brannan (1926–1994)
    Oil on panel
    H 41 x W 50.5 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Street Scene
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • John Randall Bratby (1928–1992)

    Taffy Roberts 1952
    John Randall Bratby (1928–1992)
    Oil on board
    H 109.2 x W 84 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Taffy Roberts
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • John Brown (1887–1966)

    November Sky
    John Brown (1887–1966)
    Oil on panel
    H 25.5 x W 35.5 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    November Sky
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Clive Richard Browne (1901–1991)

    St Mary's Church, Stow, Lincolnshire c.1950
    Clive Richard Browne (1901–1991)
    Oil on canvas
    H 46 x W 61 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    St Mary's Church, Stow, Lincolnshire
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Sydney William Carline (1888–1929)

    Village by Lake Orta, Italy
    Sydney William Carline (1888–1929)
    Oil on canvas
    H 64 x W 71 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Village by Lake Orta, Italy
    Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Jean Cooke (1927–2008)

    Not Waving, Just Painting 1996
    Jean Cooke (1927–2008)
    Oil on canvas
    H 45 x W 45 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Not Waving, Just Painting
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • John Downton (1906–1991)

    Child with Roses c.1936
    John Downton (1906–1991)
    Tempera on brass
    H 42.8 x W 29.1 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Child with Roses
    © The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery). Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Ian Fleming (1906–1994)

    Danger Point, Arbroath 1949
    Ian Fleming (1906–1994)
    Oil on canvas
    H 61.5 x W 91.5 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Danger Point, Arbroath
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Terry Frost (1915–2003)

    Autumn Rings Andeuze, September 1971 1983
    Terry Frost (1915–2003)
    Acrylic on canvas
    H 164.2 x W 164.2 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Autumn Rings Andeuze, September 1971
    © estate of Terry Frost. All rights reserved, DACS 2025. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Duncan Grant (1885–1978)

    The Wool Staple in Medieval Lincoln c.1957
    Duncan Grant (1885–1978)
    Oil on wood
    H 77 x W 105 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    The Wool Staple in Medieval Lincoln
    © Estate of Duncan Grant. All rights reserved, DACS 2025. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Katherine Hartnell (1886–1970)

    Still Life
    Katherine Hartnell (1886–1970)
    Oil on canvas
    H 74.4 x W 61 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Still Life
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • John Hassall (1868–1948)

    A Tank in Action
    John Hassall (1868–1948)
    Oil on canvas
    H 101.7 x W 152 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    A Tank in Action
    Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Benjamin Haughton (1865–1924)

    Winter Morning on the Otter
    Benjamin Haughton (1865–1924)
    Oil on panel
    H 32 x W 39 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Winter Morning on the Otter
    Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Julie Held (b.1958)

    The Swimmer (Cosham Painting) 1996
    Julie Held (b.1958)
    Oil on canvas
    H 175 x W 143 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    The Swimmer (Cosham Painting)
    © the artist. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Ivon Hitchens (1893–1979)

    Autumn Painting 1945
    Ivon Hitchens (1893–1979)
    Oil on canvas
    H 52.5 x W 104.8 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Autumn Painting
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Francis Edwin Hodge (1882–1949)

    Preparation for the Ballet 1939
    Francis Edwin Hodge (1882–1949)
    Oil on canvas
    H 127 x W 102 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Preparation for the Ballet
    Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Henry Holzer (1907–2007)

    Summer Evening after Rain before 1971
    Henry Holzer (1907–2007)
    Oil on board
    H 15.5 x W 20 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Summer Evening after Rain
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Lynton Harold Lamb (1907–1977)

    Nude
    Lynton Harold Lamb (1907–1977)
    Oil on canvas
    H 50.7 x W 68.5 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Nude
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Patricia Laing (b.1928)

    Cornish Fishing Boat
    Patricia Laing (b.1928)
    Oil on canvas
    H 53.4 x W 73.2 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Cornish Fishing Boat
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Thérèse Lessore (1884–1945)

    Hop-Pickers c.1938
    Thérèse Lessore (1884–1945)
    Oil on canvas
    H 65.5 x W 76 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Hop-Pickers
    Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Roy de Maistre (1894–1968)

    Flowers
    Leroy Leveson Laurent Joseph de Maistre (1894–1968)
    Oil on board
    H 60 x W 50 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Flowers
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • George Henry Grenville Manton (1855–1932)

    Miss Dorothy Brook 1918
    George Henry Grenville Manton (1855–1932)
    Oil on canvas
    H 274 x W 170 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Miss Dorothy Brook
    Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Charles James McCall (1907–1989)

    Maquillage
    Charles James McCall (1907–1989)
    Oil on canvas
    H 55.2 x W 46.2 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Maquillage
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Anne Norwich (1929–2020)

    Reading 1973
    Anne Norwich (1929–2020)
    Acrylic on canvas
    H 61 x W 50.5 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Reading
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Henning Nyberg (1903–1964)

    Plaice
    Henning Nyberg (1903–1964)
    Oil on panel
    H 51 x W 61 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Plaice
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Charles Pears (1873–1958)

    Moonlight Barque
    Charles Pears (1873–1958)
    Oil on canvas
    H 102 x W 127 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Moonlight Barque
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • John Piper (1903–1992)

    Octagonal Church, Hartwell, Buckinghamshire 1939
    John Piper (1903–1992)
    Oil on canvas
    H 55.8 x W 40.7 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Octagonal Church, Hartwell, Buckinghamshire
    © the Piper Estate / DACS 2025. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Mary Potter (1900–1981)

    Spring Landscape 1933
    Mary Potter (1900–1981)
    Oil on wood panel
    H 50.6 x W 60.8 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Spring Landscape
    © estate of Mary Potter. All rights reserved, DACS 2025. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Anne Redpath (1895–1965)

    Sweethearts
    Anne Redpath (1895–1965)
    Oil & crayon on board
    H 54.6 x W 63.5 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Sweethearts
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Shani Rhys James (b.1953)

    Lead White 1995
    Shani Rhys James (b.1953)
    Oil on canvas
    H 122 x W 91.5 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Lead White
    © Shani Rhys James. All rights reserved, DACS 2025. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Herbert Rollett (1872–1932)

    Blue Sky
    Herbert Rollett (1872–1932)
    Oil on panel
    H 22 x W 27 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Blue Sky
    Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Kenneth Rowntree (1915–1997)

    View of Lincoln Cathedral
    Kenneth Rowntree (1915–1997)
    Oil on board
    H 31.5 x W 41.5 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    View of Lincoln Cathedral
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • William Shackleton (1872–1933)

    Winter Sunrise, Malham, Yorkshire 1924
    William Shackleton (1872–1933)
    Oil on paper
    H 19 x W 28 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Winter Sunrise, Malham, Yorkshire
    Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Walter Richard Sickert (1860–1942)

    Nude Figure Reclining 1912
    Walter Richard Sickert (1860–1942)
    Oil on canvas
    H 40.9 x W 51.2 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Nude Figure Reclining
    Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • David T. Smith (1920–1999)

    Bombing Up
    David T. Smith (1920–1999)
    Oil on canvas
    H 41 x W 51 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Bombing Up
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Ruskin Spear (1911–1990)

    Interior with Nude c.1944–1945
    Ruskin Spear (1911–1990)
    Oil on panel
    H 50.5 x W 63.3 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Interior with Nude
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Walter James Steggles (1908–1997)

    Boston, Lincolnshire
    Walter James Steggles (1908–1997)
    Oil on panel
    H 18.8 x W 33.3 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Boston, Lincolnshire
    © Walter Steggles Bequest. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Kathleen Tyson (1898–1982)

    Westwell exhibited 1936
    Kathleen Tyson (1898–1982)
    Oil on canvas
    H 64.7 x W 76 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Westwell
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Leon Underwood (1890–1975)

    Still Life 1930
    Leon Underwood (1890–1975)
    Oil on canvas
    H 50.8 x W 61 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Still Life
    © the estate of Leon Underwood / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Italo Violante (b.1916)

    I Sassi, Matera, Italy 1974
    Italo Violante (b.1916)
    Oil on board
    H 30 x W 40 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    I Sassi, Matera, Italy
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Harry White (active 20th C)

    Sporting Pink
    Harry White (active 20th C)
    Oil on board
    H 76 x W 60 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Sporting Pink
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Geoffrey Wilson (1920–2010)

    The Green Umbrella
    Geoffrey Wilson (1920–2010)
    Oil on board
    H 48.5 x W 57 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    The Green Umbrella
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Erich Wolfsfeld (1884–1956)

    Caravan Resting
    Erich Wolfsfeld (1884–1956)
    Oil on panel
    H 115.5 x W 113 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Caravan Resting
    © Dr Max Block. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Ernest J. Worrall (1898–1972)

    Limekilns 1933
    Ernest J. Worrall (1898–1972)
    Oil on canvas
    H 71.5 x W 92 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Limekilns
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Bryan Wynter (1915–1975)

    Sandspoor III c.1961
    Bryan Wynter (1915–1975)
    Oil on canvas
    H 152.5 x W 122 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Sandspoor III
    © estate of Bryan Wynter. All rights reserved, DACS 2025. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

  • Anna Katrina Zinkeisen (1901–1976)

    Mediaeval Lincoln
    Anna Katrina Zinkeisen (1901–1976)
    Oil on canvas
    H 77 x W 102 cm
    The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)
    Mediaeval Lincoln
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: The Collection: Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire (Usher Gallery)

Explore artists in this Curation

View all 56
  • Landscape
    Herbert Rollett (1872–1932)
  • Arab Chicken Dealer
    Erich Wolfsfeld (1884–1956)
  • John Law Smith
    Frederick Appleyard (1874–1963)
  • The Destruction of an Austrian Machine in the Gorge of the Brenta Valley, Italy
    Sydney William Carline (1888–1929)
  • The Deposition
    Leroy Leveson Laurent Joseph de Maistre (1894–1968)
  • I Sassi, Matera, Italy
    Italo Violante (b.1916)
  • The Green Umbrella
    Geoffrey Wilson (1920–2010)
  • Evening Effect over Grimsby, Lincolnshire
    Harry White
  • November Sky
    John Brown (1887–1966)
  • Pas de deux
    Thérèse Lessore (1884–1945)
  • View all 56
View all