Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham

Q: What is Birmingham Museum best known for?

The Pre-Raphaelite collection. It's the largest collection of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world. Rossetti, Millais, and Ford Madox Brown are all represented with major works.

Q: Is Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery free?

Yes, admission is free. It's in Chamberlain Square in Birmingham's city center. The Pre-Raphaelite galleries are on the upper floors. Some temporary exhibitions may charge a small fee.

Q: Which Pre-Raphaelite artists are featured?

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais, and Ford Madox Brown have the strongest presence. Burne-Jones, who was born in Birmingham, is also well represented. The collection totals over 3,000 works from the movement.

Q: What else is in the collection besides paintings?

The Staffordshire Hoard (Anglo-Saxon gold) is displayed here. There's also a natural history section, ancient Egyptian artifacts, and local history galleries. Ford Madox Brown's works sit alongside decorative arts from the same Victorian period.

Birmingham, UK

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Visitor Information

Museum Address

Chamberlain Square, Birmingham B3 3DH, United Kingdom

Birmingham, UK

Ticket Prices

Free (exhibitions £8-15)

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Featured Artists

8 artists in database

1Ford Madox Brown5 works 2John Everett Millais4 works 3William Holman Hunt3 works 4Edward Burne-Jones2 works 5Dante Gabriel Rossetti2 works

The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery opened in 1884 to inspire local artisans with objects from around the world. Today it holds the largest collection of Pre-Raphaelite art anywhere, with over 2,000 pieces including oil paintings, tapestries, stained glass, and ceramics. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was Britain's first modern art movement, and Birmingham became its spiritual home.

Edward Burne-Jones dominates the collection with more works than any other museum in the world. Ford Madox Brown's The Last of England ranks among the gallery's treasures. John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and William Holman Hunt complete the Brotherhood's representation. Birmingham's School of Art produced generations of artists who studied Pre-Raphaelite techniques at the museum. Burne-Jones himself visited in 1887 to encourage students. The collection toured American museums in 2018. Admission is free.

Visiting Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham

The Pre-Raphaelite collection. It's the largest collection of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world. Rossetti, Millais, and Ford Madox Brown are all represented with major works.

Yes, admission is free. It's in Chamberlain Square in Birmingham's city center. The Pre-Raphaelite galleries are on the upper floors. Some temporary exhibitions may charge a small fee.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais, and Ford Madox Brown have the strongest presence. Burne-Jones, who was born in Birmingham, is also well represented. The collection totals over 3,000 works from the movement.

The Staffordshire Hoard (Anglo-Saxon gold) is displayed here. There's also a natural history section, ancient Egyptian artifacts, and local history galleries. Ford Madox Brown's works sit alongside decorative arts from the same Victorian period.

Victorian Birmingham industrialists were early collectors of Pre-Raphaelite painting. They bought directly from Rossetti and Burne-Jones. Burne-Jones grew up in the city, strengthening the local connection. The museum received many of these works as donations.

Other Museums in Birmingham

Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham

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Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, AL

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Please note: Artwork locations and display status may change. Some paintings may be on loan, in restoration, or moved to different galleries within the museum. We recommend contacting Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham directly to confirm specific artwork availability before your visit.

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