The Elizabeth Burney Bequest
A view of humanity from the perspective of a journalist, criminologist and collector of art
Elizabeth Burney (1934-2018) was probably too modest to regard herself as a collector, yet she amassed an impressive collection of artworks that revealed a fascination with – and compassion for – humanity.
A journalist and criminal psychologist, Burney was a descendent of the 18th century musicologist Charles Burney, and related to the celebrated writer Fanny Burney. She decided to bequeath her collection to us following an inspiring visit to the Gallery where she attended a tour given by one of our exceptional volunteer guides.
The Elizabeth Burney Bequest includes etchings by Samuel Palmer, Camille Pissarro and Käthe Kollwitz, woodcuts by the Japanese master Hiroshige and drawings by Henri Gaudier-Brzeska and Christopher Wood. It includes several important new additions to our collection of Modern British art such as prints by Marc Chagall and Samuel Palmer that fill previous gaps. Works by Matthew Smith, Leon Underwood and Christopher Wood complement the existing collection.
A selection of works from The Elizabeth Burney Bequest went on display in spring 2019.
Käthe Kollwitz, Gesenkter Frauenkopf. Study of a Woman with Head Bent, 1905
Käthe Kollwitz, Gesenkter Frauenkopf. Study of a Woman with Head Bent, 1905, soft ground etching on paper, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (The Elizabeth Burney Bequest, 2018)
Camille Pissarro, Côte Sainte Catherine, à Rouen (1883)
Drypoint Etching and aquatint on paper, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (The Elizabeth Burney Bequest, 2018)
Peter Ilsted, At Havedoren (In the Garden Doorway) (1913)
Mezzotint on paper, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (The Elizabeth Burney Bequest 2018)
Peter Ilsted, Girl Sitting at a Table (1909)
Peter Ilsted, Girl Sitting at a Table, 1909, Mezzotint on paper, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (The Elizabeth Burney Bequest 2018)
Utagawa Hiroshige, Station 41 Miya: Festival of the Atsuta Shrine, from the series Fifty-three Stations of the Tôkaidô Road, 1834
Ukiyo-e woodblock on paper, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (The Elizabeth Burney Bequest 2018)
Utagawa Hiroshige, Morning Mist on the Tenryu River, Mitsuke from the series Fifty-three Stations of the Tôkaidô, c. 1833-1834
Ukiyo-e woodblock on paper, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (The Elizabeth Burney Bequest 2018)
Samuel Palmer, The Rising Moon or An English Pastoral (1857)
Etching on paper, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (The Elizabeth Burney Bequest, 2018)