The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

Walter Richard Sickert captured this trapeze artist back in 1920. Next Tuesday – Wednesday see live circus performances here at the Museum for yourself! Admittedly there’s no trapeze, but we do have two incredible women scientists turned circus performers. Can you juggle with water? Balance a chair on your chin? Book your ticket to find out: bit.ly/2xOmc7F

This portrait, The Great Belzoni by the Dutch artist Jan Adam Kruseman (1804-1862) was presented to us through Arts Council England #CulturalGiftsScheme in honour of our former Director, Tim Knox.
Opening today: a special in-focus show about this celebrated explorer and archaeologist Giovanni Belzoni and the continued allure of ancient Egypt. As an early benefactor of the Museum, Belzoni is credited as having established the Fitz's extenstive permanent collection of Egyptian artifatcs.

This Wednesday’s free lunchtime talk (1.15 – 2pm) is with potter Jennifer Lee. Jennifer will be discussing her own work, pots and drawings, currently on display Kettle's Yard, as well as a display that she has curated of her favourite pieces, both ancient and modern, here at the Fitzwilliam bit.ly/2LZQLj4

In celebration of today’s #Apollo50 anniversary here’s a spectacular drawing in our collection of the moon’s crater Copernicus by James Nasmyth. In 1842 Nasmyth set out to make a minutely detailed study of the moon, which absorbed him for over thirty years. He built a 20-inch reflecting telescope in his garden, and tirelessly produced realistic drawings from black and white chalk, such as this one, used for scientific teaching. In the words of Armstrong "It's a view worth the price of the trip."

Ever wanted to know how you balance a chair on your chin or if you can juggle liquid? The scientific secrets behind circus tricks will be revealed in a fun, fast-paced family circus performance at the Fitz, aimed at children 5+.
StrongWomen Science seeks to promote enquiry, embracing failure, inventiveness and accessibility in science, making it open to all.
BOOKING ESSENTIAL. Please visit https://bit.ly/2xOmc7F... or tel: 01223 357851.
Please note that there are two timed performances on Tuesday 30 July & Wednesday 31 July at 11.00 – 12.00 & 14.00 – 15.00.
This 35 minute performance is followed by 25 minute hands-on activities around circus science experiments. The show’s development was supported by the Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry.
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On Wednesday we have a treat for those interested in ceramics and colour when Professor Chingfei Shih, from the Art History Department, Taiwan University gives our lunchtime talk entitled: “The early modern revolution of colour palettes on ceramics with over-glazed painting”
https://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/…/earl y-modern-revolution-…
Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

Our highly acclaimed current free exhibition, Beggarstaffs: William Nicholson & James Pryde, is in its last three weeks closing on August 4.
It is the first time the combined work of these two great artists - groundbreaking posters on loan from the V&A - have been placed alongside their later individual works. A great way to spend time over the weekend!

Our collaboration with the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, supported by the Global Challenges Research Fund, has been a great experience. Our colleague and collaborator, Daniel Pett, made this video to give a brief behind the scenes glimpse. More about the trip here: https://egyptiancoffins.org/news/cairowor kshop

'Artist Unknown' is opening at Kettle's Yard Tuesday 9 July, including works from across University of Cambridge Museums. This article from Apollo describes the show which features this Portrait of a Woman (detail; 1850–80), French School. Photo: © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Eliza Spindel, Curatorial and Research Assistant, is giving a lunchtime talk at the Fitzwilliam on Weds 10 July about the exhibition - more details here: https://bit.ly/2L5HS7O

‪The Museum will be open from 10 - 5 today. Unfortunately, due to staff illness, we are not able to open Gallery 1, and apologise for any disappointment this will cause. ‬

This Saturday 6 July, approach the Fitzwilliam without cars on the road – as people would have done back in 1848 when the Museum opened. Extinction Rebellion Cambridge have advised they are planning a protest event “Streets for Life: Imagine Cambridge without Cars” More info here: https://bit.ly/30gTDM6

This touching Art UK article surveys the relationship and art of life partners Ethel Sands and Anna Hope Hudson. Sands’ painting ‘Still life with a view over a cemetery’ from our collection is illustrated.
https://artuk.org/…/the-socialite-and-t he-introvert-the-sha…

Exhibition curator Stephen Calloway compares James Pryde and William Nicholson's different experiences of travel and how it influenced their paintings.

Our lunchtime talk on Wednesday 3 July will feature four of our colleagues, recently returned from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Helen Strudwick, Melanie Pitkin, Julie Dawson and Dan Pett will talk about their new collaboration "Caring for ancient Egyptian coffins in Cairo". https://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/…/cari ng-ancient-egyptian-…

Today the Museum opens at 12 noon. It is the last chance to catch our exhibition Making a Nation: Money, image and power in Tudor and Stuart England. Here is some more information about the exhibition, and also a short video with curator Dr Richard Kelleher who talks about the section of the exhibition devoted to Oliver Cromwell.
https://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/…/maki ng-nation-money-imag…
https://youtu.be/RJ2vszdkSc0

Happy 442nd birthday to Peter Paul Rubens, one of the most influential artists of the Baroque period. He was born on this day in 1577 in Siegen, Germany.
Come and see his oil painting (on panel), The Union of Earth and Water, painted circa 1620, on display in Gallery 8. Inspired by classical mythology, Rubens depicts Mother of the Gods Cybele as Earth, holding the horn of plenty. She gazes at god of freshwater and the sea Neptune, with his trident, who represents water.
Follo...w the link to see more of his work in our collections: https://webapps.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/expl orer/index.php…
#PeterPaulRubens #onthisday #cambridgemuseums #fitzwilliammuseum
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We're celebrating #NationalWritingDay by shining a light on a gem from one of the giants of nineteenth-century literature in our literary manuscripts collection: a revelatory set of personal letters from author Charlotte Brontë to her friend and former headmistress Margaret Wooler.
'The Fitzwilliam’s letters unlock a network of women, all of them – in different ways – wrestling with the problem of having a voice as authors and thinkers in their own right.'
Hannah Price, Programme Coordinator at University of Cambridge Museums met with Suzanne Reynolds, Assistant Keeper of Manuscripts and Printed Books at the Fitzwilliam to discuss this set of letters. Follow the link to learn more about Brontë's life and relationships through her own written words.

What happens when you put early career researchers together with experts from the creative industries? “Can you handle it? Using 3D prints to improve museum access.” Our lunchtime talk on Weds 26 Jun is with Dr Catriona Cooper, Dr Abi L Glen and Dr Jennifer Wexler- https://bit.ly/2ZGAKlF For more information about our Creative Engagement Economy Fellows: https://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/…/crea tive-economy-fellows…