The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is widely recognised as one of the finest small picture galleries in the world, and the most representative collection of Western art assembled in Britain in the 20th century. The Barber Institute's Director, Ann Sumner, offers here a charmingly personal guide to some of the collection's finest pieces, allowing us to share in her passion and enthusiasm for the world-renowned works in her care, which include Bellini's St Jerome in the Wilderness, Gainsborough's The Harvest Wagon, Van Gogh's A Peasant Woman Digging, Monet's The Church at Varengeville, Rubens' Portrait of a Carmelite Prior and Isaac Oliver's Portrait of Henry Prince of Wales. AUTHOR: Ann Sumner has held curatorial positions at the National Portrait Gallery, London; Holburne Museum, Bath; and Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, and was Keeper at Dulwich Picture Gallery. She spent seven years as Head of Fine Art at National Museum Wales before joining the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham, as Director and Professor of Fine Arts and Curatorial Practice in 2007. 37 colour illustrations
