13 March - 14 June 2020

The Enchanted Interior explores the recurring motif of female subjects in art, as depicted in enclosed, ornate interiors. Such images are inherently alluring yet sinister, carrying implications of enforced isolation. This theme is prevalent in nineteenth-century British painting, with many Pre-Raphaelites and Orientalists showing a fascination with the so-called ‘gilded cage’. Visitors encounter work by a breath-taking variety of artists from the high Victorian through to Art Nouveau, Aestheticism, Surrealism, and pieces by contemporary female artists, who ‘speak back’ to the historic tradition.

The exhibition features works by artists including Edward Burne-Jones, Evelyn De Morgan, James Abbot McNeill Whistler, Emma Sandys, Francesca Woodman, Fiona Tan, John William Waterhouse and Clementina Hawarden.

The Enchanted Interior is brought to Guildhall Art Gallery in partnership with Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle, and features key works from these and other national collections. Paintings, furniture, photography, film, decorative objects, sculpture, and installation interweave throughout this major exhibition, which is dazzling to the eye and thought-provoking in equal measure.

The Enchanted Interior was developed and curated by the Laing Art Gallery and Madeleine Kennedy, and adapted by Guildhall Art Gallery.

Visit the exhibition from home

While our doors are closed, we hope that you enjoy exploring the exhibition through the image gallery and video tour below.

View images of the exhibition