When I say I come from Bradford, I’v witness people’s faces screw up like they’ve just smelt something rotten. The funny thing is, some of these people have never stepped foot inside Bradford.
You see, it has a reputation.
I’d like to say that Bradford is pretty and it’s the type of place that anyone would love, but it’s not. Many of the buildings are dilapidated, worn out, black, grey, and ugly – and not in the cool, Brutalist kind of way.
Then there are the people who dwell within Bradford. Sometimes you’ll see dull and dour expressions mimicking the facades of the buildings, but you’ll also find some of the friendliest, warmest people in the UK. Bradford is definitely a mixed bag of people and attractions.
A former industrial powerhouse
Bradford is a story of riches to rags. During the nineteenth-century it prospered from a booming textile industry and at this time it was one of the most important cities in the world, supplying people across the continents.
To coincide with this new circulation of money, a demand for establishments to house entertainment grew. The city invested time and money building highly decorative buildings to fulfil such functions.
Many of these buildings are still around today, but most of them are coated with thick industrial soot and left empty to deteriorate along with Bradford’s reputation.
However, there’s one building, more than any other that symbolises the former glory of Bradford existing today – that building is Cartwright Hall. A beautiful Baroque art museum that no person who enters Bradford should leave without visiting.
Exploring Cartwright Hall
Encased around a pretty park and tall decorative gates, it’s hard to believe that Bradford has Cartwright Hall. It’s impressive in a way that you only usually find in London. It’s as though you’ve stepped back in time and walked inside a place described in one of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s children’s books.
But don’t hold that thought for too long, because as soon as you step out of the gates you crash back down to reality. The first row of houses opposite are ALL boarded up and left derelict. But strangely enough I like this. It makes Cartwright Hall appear ever more the ‘rose between thorns’.
As far as art museums go, this is one of the best in Yorkshire. It might not be competition for Yorkshire Sculpture Park or Tate Liverpool, but should still rank highly as one of Northern England’s top galleries.
Granted art is subjective, and your experience of a museum is largely dependent on the exhibitions and your own personal taste, but Cartwright Hall has a diverse range of exhibitions as well as a permanent collection to ensure there is something for everyone any time of the year.
Unlike many art museums, it’s not intimidating, you won’t overhear any pretentious conversations, and the invigilators will be sure to give you smile.
You’ll see a lot of familiar and surprisingly big names – David Hockney, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Bridgette Riley, Anish Kapoor, and Dante Rossetti to name only a few.
Am I making you want to go? I hope so, because it deserves far more attention than it gets at present.
David Hockney’s ‘Le Plongeur’ (Paper Pool) 1978
Peace Through Chemistry (1970) by Roy Lichtenstein – How many faces can you spot among these geometric shapes?
Above is the Study for the head of the dead Beatrice (1871) by Dante Rossetti who was responsible for the Pre-Raphaelites.
This is a pastel of Jane who was the wife of artist William Morris who hailed from Walthamstow.
If you’ve not heard of Dante Rossetti but the name rings a bell, that may be because you’re familiar with his sister and writer Christina Rossetti.
During a time when art and literature was dominated by men, Christina managed to carve out her own career.
Anish Kapoor’s sculpture, Turning the World Inside Out was funded by Cartwright Hall in 1997, though it’s often on loan to other galleries. You can also see a painting by Kapoor on the top floor of the museum.
I don’t think there’s any need to introduce the artist or subject of this one!
The city's working-class roots
In a city often scoffed at for its working-class roots and lack of finesse, there is a painting inside Cartwright which beckons a special mention, Industrial Landscape (1952) by L. S. Lowry whose work will shortly be exhibited at the Tate Britain in London. In an article recently published in the Guardian, T J Clark, one of the world’s pre-eminent scholars of French Impressionism, who curated the exhibition had this to say about Lowry:
An artist who is taken for granted and condescended to. The reaction from London art world friends over the last year and a half, when I have said I am working on Lowry, has been of deadpan incomprehension and disappointment
There has, said Clark, been a “metropolitan resistance to taking the north seriously as a subject for art”, and added: “It is extraordinary to me, this image of him as an amateur, as someone who could barely paint, won’t die. To me it is absolutely astonishing. And coded into this conversation by the metropolitan elite is the idea that someone who paints this subject matter can’t be taken seriously.”
By highlighting the elitism against L. S Lowry’s work, due to his decision to focus on the industrial landscape of Northern England it highlights the discriminations that Bradford receives as a city for being working-class.
But an interesting fact to remember about Lowry is that he currently holds the record for the most rejected British honours during his life, including a knighthood. He really didn’t care about being part of the elite, even when he was invited to join.
You may not be able to find the glamorous shops, bars or restaurants in Bradford that you can find in other cities across England.
However, what you will find is one of the country’s most culturally diverse and interesting cities, with an array of museums to explore.
8 Responses
Thanks for introducing me to Bradford! To be honest, I’ve never heard of it which is great because now I get to learn all about it from you 🙂 What a great museum filled with interesting exhibits. I love Lichtenstein pieces so that was a joy to see. Cartwright Hall is beautiful and looks more like an elegant residence than an art museum.
I’m pleased to introduce you to Bradford! It has a rather tattered reputation, but there are still some gems worth visiting in and around the city! You’re right, I think it looks much more like a private, stately home instead of a free museum!
Never been to Bradford. Applied for a job with the probably soon to be defunct National Media Museum but never got anywhere. It’s not quite the same but so many people have a negative view of South London, seemingly just because it doesn’t have as many tube lines. Weird things people use to leverage their prejudices.
On Lowry I completely agree, and I see him more as a natural successor to people like Bruegels than almost anyone else. Especially paintings like this http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Pieter_Bruegel_d._%C3%84._093.jpg
The National Media Museum is great! I haven’t heard anything about it becoming defunct, I think that’s one of the few places that will continue to exist in Bradford!
Oh South London is lovely because there seems to be more greenery! I’m moving to London at the end of summer, so it would be great if you could show me some of the places you like!
Wow Bruegel’s work is wonderful, and I definitely see a connection between the two artists – thanks for showing this to me!
Unfortunately many of the satellite museums have seriously struggled to balance their budgets, and the NMM just isn’t pulling in the crowds to justify its wedge. The next couple of years will be crucial for it.
There is loads of greenery in South London. My other website (walkaroundlondon.com) is dedicated to exploring all of it, and I’ve mainly kicked off with S. London so I know it better than most! And yeah I’d be more than happy to show you some of the more stunning views, they’re well worth it. Just pop me a message if you’re in need of pointers.
Finally, you’re welcome ;o)
Fascination article about an area unfamiliar to me. I love your pictures and history, along with your insights. Thanks!
Oops!! I mean “Fascinating” article! (My head cold is affecting my brain 😉 )
Hehe I can empathise, I think I’ve had brain-freeze for the last two weeks during our freak episodes of snow!
I’m happy you liked the article! Bradford isn’t a typical tourists place and often ‘avoided’, but I’m hoping people’s perceptions will change, because it is a very interesting city!