1877年成立的Grosvenor Gallery，在其營運的十四年間，透過每年的夏季展與冬季展，展出當代藝術家以及近代英國畫家的創作。經營者Sir Coutts Lindsay (1824-1913)不僅將鄉間別墅的娛樂傳統帶進藝廊，同時採用了不同於其他機構的畫作展示方式，並以邀請制度安排展覽內容，讓Grosvenor Gallery展覽在70至80年代間備受矚目。事實上，當時學院正因為對於新藝術風格的保守態度，以及對於非學院畫家不友善的評選制度，遭受各方批評。此時新成立的Grosvenor Gallery為當代畫家提供了另一項選擇，成功展現了新的展覽樣態。本論文從藝廊的經營實務以及展覽內容兩個面向切入，藉以反映Grosvenor Gallery在當時藝術環境中的定位，並檢驗藝廊展覽推展英國藝術的功效。 論文第一章自藝廊的成立背景與經營理念談起，包括創辦人Lindsay夫婦的貴族教養及品味，對於藝廊風格取向的影響，以及兩位藝廊經理Charles Hall? (1846-1919)及Joseph Comyns Carr (1849-1916)運用過往的交遊與工作經歷，幫助展覽的規劃及活動安排。文中將進一步檢驗藝廊的各類硬體設備、空間規劃與裝飾，如何配合藝廊的展覽策略。第二章透過藝廊夏季展與冬季展的回顧，勾勒Grosvenor Gallery的展示策略與展覽規劃。除了探尋藝廊展覽呈現的豐富藝術面向，也就冬季展覽各類主題串連而成的意義作討論。第三章則探尋Grosvenor Gallery夏季展對於不同類別的當代藝術家的意義，包括前拉斐爾派第二代畫家藉此獲得發聲管道，並透過藝廊推展至國際的情形，以及幾位與學院有密切關聯的畫家們，如何運用藝廊的展覽機會，展出不同類型的作品。另外也就80年代才開始參與倫敦展覽的自然主義畫家、以及追隨Whistler的倫敦印象派畫家們，討論他們選擇的展示地點，並藉以找出80年代晚期各類新的藝術機構陸續出現時，Grosvenor Gallery受到的衝擊。透過以上論述，本論文將印證Grosvenor Gallery作為私人藝廊，運用其獨立營運的優勢及創新策略，聚集了經營者與藝廊畫家們的品味，在70至80年代間，成功地透過展覽形塑並推展英國藝術。 The Grosvenor Gallery, established in 1877, promoted contemporary and earlier art during its 14 years of operation. Grosvenor Gallery’s exhibitions attracted much attention because Sir Coutts Lindsay, its owner, adopted a new method of inviting painters and hanging of paintings. It was also well-known for its versatility of new art styles. While the Royal Academy was conservative towards new trends of art and continued its outsiders-unfriendly tradition of exhibition practices, the Grosvenor Gallery provided contemporary artists with an ideal alternative. This thesis explores the function of the Grosvenor Gallery’s exhibitions and its promotion of British art by examining its exhibition practices and paintings on show. The first chapter traces the background of the establishment of the Grosvenor Gallery and its owner’s original ideas. It is important to know how Lindsay’s aristocratic breeds and education gave birth to the establishment of the Grosvenor Gallery and how the past careers of the two managers influenced the exhibition practices. The second chapter examines Grosvenor Gallery’s exhibitions’ strategies. Apart from discovering what kinds of art styles were shown, the second part of this chapter will focus on the demonstration of British art’s development in winter exhibitions. The third chapter explores how Grosvenor Gallery’s summer exhibitions benefited different artist groups. For example, the younger associates of Pre-Raphaelite circle got chances to show their paintings and to participate in Universal Exhibitions. In addition to this, academicians and artists who frequented the Royal Academy exhibitions also made use of this alternative chance to show their works, which were not often shown in the Royal Academy exhibitions. In order to trace the influence upon Grosvenor Gallery’s exhibitions made by other newly established art institutions in the 1880s, the third part of this chapter will discuss the choices made by young artists who were either members of London Impressionism groups or influenced by foreign naturalist painters. In the conclusion, I will point out that the Grosvenor Gallery, as a private institution, demonstrated the taste of its owners and artists and successfully promoted British art in the late Victorian period.
