Still Lives opens free at St Albans Museum + Gallery on 23 October: Hepworth, Heron and Veronica Ryan among 50+ works, on until 11 April 2027.

A touring exhibition of more than 50 still life artworks from The Hepworth Wakefield opens at St Albans Museum + Gallery on Friday 23 October, with work by Barbara Hepworth, Patrick Heron and Turner Prize winner Veronica Ryan. Still Lives is free and runs in the Weston Gallery until 11 April 2027.

The museum, in the old Town Hall on St Peter’s Street, is open every day from 10am to 4pm, and general admission is free.

According to the museum’s exhibition page, the show brings together work by more than 30 artists and is travelling to the south of England for the first time. It is presented with UH Arts + Culture, the arts programme of the University of Hertfordshire.

Poster for Still Lives, 23 October 2026 to 11 April 2027, over a 17th century still life painting of a lobster, fruit, flowers and a gilded cup, with the logos of The Hepworth Wakefield, UH Arts + Culture, Arts Council England and St Albans Museums
The Still Lives exhibition poster. Photo: supplied by St Albans Museums

The local connections

Three of the artists have ties to Hertfordshire, and the St Albans showing adds works that were not part of the tour.

  • Veronica Ryan, the Turner Prize winner, studied at St Albans College of Art and Design.
  • Patrick Heron grew up in Welwyn Garden City.
  • Three works from the University of Hertfordshire Art Collection have been added for St Albans: two paintings by Ben Nicholson and an installation by Katy Gillam-Hull, a craft artist who studied at the university.
A hanging cluster of dark, leaf-like sculpted forms bound with pink, green, orange and blue threads, against a white wall
Cluster, a work by Veronica Ryan. Photo: supplied by St Albans Museums

What is in it

Still life, the painting of flowers, food and everyday objects, is one of the oldest subjects in art. The exhibition follows it from 17th century Dutch painters, among them Nicolaes van Verendael, Willem Ormea and Jacob Foppens van Es, through to contemporary artists. It is not only paintings: there are sculptures, photographs, ceramics and works on paper.

The artists on the museum’s list include Vanessa Bell, Margaret Firth, Roger Fry, Juan Gris, Anthea Hamilton, Barbara Hepworth, Patrick Heron, Ivon Hitchens, Frances Hodgkins, Rene Matić, Emily Murray Patterson, Ben Nicholson, Willem Ormea, Lucie Rie, Eva Rothschild, Veronica Ryan, Caroline Walker, Geer Van Velde and Nicolaes van Verendael. Hamilton and Matić have both been nominated for the Turner Prize.

Two tall metal candlesticks, each with square legs and a flat petal-like top, photographed against a pale grey background
Two Candlesticks by Barbara Hepworth. Photo: supplied by St Albans Museums. © Bowness, Hepworth Estate; photography Jerry Hardman-Jones and Mark Heathcote

What the organisers say

Farhana Begum, the council’s arts, tourism, culture and heritage manager and head of St Albans Museums, said:

“Still Lives gives our visitors the rare opportunity to see world-class artworks from across four centuries on our doorstep. It’s an exciting opportunity to make outstanding art more accessible and link historic masterpieces, contemporary artists and local audiences.”

Councillor Edgar Hill, the council’s lead councillor for heritage, said:

“By bringing internationally important artworks to our doorstep, we’re ensuring that more people can engage with art and culture close to home. Exhibitions like this inspire creativity and encourage people to explore our city, and contribute to the vitality of our local economy and cultural life.”

Inna Allen, curator and head of UH Arts + Culture, said:

“This exhibition breathes new life into the traditional still life genre, playfully exploring how artists find inspiration in the everyday, from the ordinary to the absurd. I am so thrilled that we have been able to bring pieces from our University Art Collection into dialogue with this incredible selection of artworks.”

Marie-Charlotte Carrier, curator at The Hepworth Wakefield, said:

“While artists have been drawn to still life across the centuries, the genre has often been disregarded or considered less important in the history of art. This touring exhibition is a wonderful opportunity to share the breadth of Wakefield’s art collection beyond our walls, now with audiences at St Albans.”

A tall black sculpture in a white gallery: a ridged black arch curving over into a draped shape of glossy black material, standing on a grey floor
Wandering Palm by Eva Rothschild. Photo: supplied by St Albans Museums. © courtesy the artist; photography Stuart Whipps

Visiting

  • Where: Weston Gallery, St Albans Museum + Gallery, Town Hall, St Peter’s Street, St Albans AL1 3DH
  • When: 23 October 2026 to 11 April 2027, daily 10am to 4pm
  • Cost: free
  • More: stalbansmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/still-lives

The Hepworth Wakefield, named after the sculptor, who was born and brought up in Wakefield, looks after the city’s art collection, which was started in 1923. St Albans Museums is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, with funding of just over £1 million, the museum says.

For more to do in the city this autumn, see What’s On in St Albans this month.