Our Collection
The Whitworth’s extensive and eclectic collection of art and design is of international significance.
It ranges from outstanding groups of works on paper to textiles and wallpapers made for the mass market, a unique collection of Outsider Art and international contemporary works. Dynamic and changing, we continue to expand our collection through gifts and purchases, such as a recent major donation of works by the Karpidas Foundation.
While many of our exhibitions are made up from works in our permanent collection, the Whitworth has nothing on permanent display. Discover more about our current and upcoming exhibitions here.
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Historic Fine Art
Paintings and works by William Blake, J. M.W. Turner, Millais, Rossetti, Holman Hunt and others
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Modern and Contemporary Art
New art that reflects our time, collected within the context of the modern greats of the 20th century
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Textile Collection
Over 20,000 textiles from across the world, dating from the third century AD to the present
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The Whitworth Art Fund New Collecting Award
For British South Asian Women Artists working with textiles.
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Prints
An outstanding collection that ranges from prints by Dürer to works by Cézanne, Manet and Renoir
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Wallpaper
One of the most important collections of wallpaper in the country
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Sculpture
Important works by Epstein, Hepworth, Metzger, Borland and others
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The Musgrave Kinley Outsider Art Collection
The Whitworth is home to one of the most significant public collections of Outsider Art in the UK, The Musgrave Kinley Outsider Collection.
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Outsider Art Blog
This is a fortnightly blog that explores the work of artists in the Musgrave Kinley Outsider Collection, housed at the Whitworth
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