The Frederick Gibberd Collection of British Watercolours and
Drawings
The Frederick Gibberd Collection of British Watercolours and
drawings was started in 1977 with Sir Frederick Gibberd’s gift to
Harlow Council of ten pictures from his personal collection.
Sir Frederick began his collection in 1935, shaping it by
these characteristic features: each picture had to be the work of a
British artist, the artist had to be living and each picture had to
be either a watercolour or a drawing or a print.
The provisos were designed to initiate and foster the careers
of young artists, some of whom were his friends. Moreover, works by
young artists were easily affordable, making it possible to acquire
works by artists of the quality of Graham Sutherland and John Piper
before their reputations were established. Then, the collection
welcomed watercolours particularly, for this was the medium in
which British artists had excelled. Importantly, painters of the
Romantic School like Alexander Cousins, Girtin, Turner and Cotman
had found watercolour the ideal medium for depicting the landscapes
of Britain, with their delicate, hazy forms, ever changing skies
and atmospheric effects.
As with all private collections, Sir Frederick’s was shaped by
personal taste and to its great credit contained pieces by many of
Britain’s most influential artists of the period. Furthermore, Sir
Frederick continued to contribute artistic works beyond his initial
donation of ten, donating another thirty-three works to Harlow
Council before his death in 1984. In addition, he not only advised
on subsequent purchases but also it was primarily his enthusiasm
and commitment that led to the location of the gallery in the old
Town Hall.
Because Harlow Council allocated money for more purchases in
accord with the original objectives, additions to the gallery in
later years included works by renowned women artists, such as
Elizabeth Blackadder and Prunella Clough.
The collection was moved to the purpose-built Gibberd Gallery
in January 2004.