Editor Pick
The Ashmolean Museum
- January 24, 2005
- Rated 5 of 5 by
aliante1981 from Dubna, Russia
The Highlights
Frankly speaking, I did not think that a city of Oxford’s proportions – however learned and scientifically important it might be – would be host to such a prominent museum, which, with true justification in my opinion, has been many times described by people better acquainted with it than a casual tourist might be as one of Britain’s best museums outside London. Father and son – both named John Tradescant – laid the cornerstone of the collection of this museum, which opened in year 1683. Dr. Elias Ashmole also contributed significantly, so the museum bears his name. Incidentally, this means that the Ashmolean is the oldest public museum of art, archaeology, and natural history in Great Britain. I will not bore you here with its history (although I strongly suspect I might do so in a different tip), but instead will try and focus on the most important exhibits the museum features:
- Alfred Jewel: a gold and enamel ring dating back to over 1,000 years ago, bearing the inscription Aelfred mec heht gewyrcan, which translates into modern English as "Alfred ordered me made," which some historians believe might be a reference to the Saxon king bearing the name;
- Toilet box cover with "Women and Cupids," an item from the 5th to 4th centuries BC from Ancient Greece and created by an artist who became known as the Meidias Painter. There are also many assorted Greek and Roman carvings exhibited;
- Bellini, including his St. Jerome Reading in a Landscape, painted in the later part of the 15th century;
- Rapahel, including his work Heads of Two Apostles, dated year 1519;
- Michelangelo’s Crucifixion, painted in 1557;
- Turner’s Venice The Grand Canal, which is somewhat younger, having been painted in 1840;
- Paolo Uccello and his A Hunt in a Forest dated as past 1460;
- Rembrandt and his Saskia Asleep work, of the year 1635;
- Picasso’s blue period piece called Blue Roofs, painted in 1901;
- Guy Fawkes’ lantern is a curio related to one of the most famous rogues of the British Parliamentary history;
- Paolo Veronese’s late 1550s work called The Holy Family with the Infant St. John and St. George;
- A large fragment of the Parian Chronicle marbles, bought at Smyrna in the early 17th century;
The Practical Side: The museum opens at 10 in the morning and closes at 5 in the evening each day from Tuesday till Saturday except on major public holidays, and is open from 2am till 5 in the afternoon on Sundays and English bank holiday Mondays. You do not pay an admission fee, but – keeping with the tradition of several important United Kingdom’s museums – donations are requested from visitors.
From journal British University Cities - Oxford
Editor Pick
Ashmolean Museum
- August 26, 2000
- Rated 3 of 5 by
Amanda from London, United Kingdom
Opened in the latter half of the 17th century, this is the UK's oldest public museum. The building itself is beautiful enough to make it worth a visit, but the collection is jolly good, too. They have a mixture of permanent and temporary exhibits - when I was last there, they had a fascinating exhibition about Leonardo Da Vinci on display. The permanent paintings there are an impressive bunch - the museum has works by Monet, Van Gogh, and a couple of Rodin sculptures as well.
The mueseum is free, but the opening hours are shorter than many museums - 10am - 4pm; closed on Mondays.
From journal Dreaming Spires