Christ Church College – The Unique Christ Church Gallery

The Christ Church Gallery is Within the Christ Church College Walls:

Christ Church College, Oxford University

Oxford Christ Church College is unique in more ways than one.  Apart from being one of the largest colleges in the University of Oxford, it is the home of the Christ Church Picture Gallery which possesses an important collection of Old Master paintings and drawings – some 300 paintings and almost 2000 drawings in all.

Christ Church Gallery

The Picture Gallery represents one of the most important private collections in the country and includes works by many renowned masters including Leonardo, Michelangelo, Dürer, Raphael and Rubens. The Christ Church Gallery is particularly strong in Italian art, from the 14th century to the 18th century: there are some good panel paintings by early, often anonymous masters, and examples of the art of Filippino Lippi, Tintoretto, Veronese, Sano di Pietro, Annibale Carracci and Salvator Rosa.

However, the Christ Church Gallery is not just about Italian art. The Picture Gallery’s collection includes some fine works by notable northern painters such as Van Dyck, Frans Hals and Hugo van der Goes. Due to space and conservation, only a selection of drawings is on view at any one time, and this is changed every two to three months.

Christ Church Picture Gallery is located within the walls of Christ Church College. The award-winning modern building is cleverly slotted underground, on the south side of Canterbury Quad. If you only wish to visit the Picture Gallery without visiting the rest of Christ Church College, enter through Canterbury Gate off Oriel Square.

There is a tour through the gallery every Monday at 14:30 highlighting works from the permanent collection or focusing on special temporary exhibitions. This tour is free to visitors with the price of admission.

The Christ Church Gallery is open daily throughout most of the year and there is a small admission charge.

Map of Oxford:

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