Art historian co-curates major exhibition celebrating the life and legacy of John Flaxman
Posted on Friday 18 September 2026
The exhibition features works by artists the York-born artist inspired, including JMW Turner, William Blake, and Josiah Wedgwood.
Produced in partnership with Professor Richard Johns from the University of York’s Department of History of Art, Turner, Wedgwood & Beyond: Inspired by Flaxman is the first major exhibition dedicated to Flaxman in York, which opened at York Art Gallery on 18 September 2026.
A defining figure of British art
Born in York on 6 July 1755, John Flaxman was one of the defining figures of British art. Renowned as a draughtsman, designer and sculptor, his work found meaning and renown alongside that of his contemporaries including JMW Turner, William Blake, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, and fellow York-born artist William Etty.
His celebrated designs for the potter Josiah Wedgwood helped shape some of the most recognisable works of British ceramic art, while his published outline illustrations to Homer and Dante, amongst other ancient poets, secured him an international reputation and inspired artists across Europe.
Homer’s Odyssey
The exhibition will include Flaxman’s radically minimalist line drawings depicting scenes from Homer’s epic poem, the Odyssey. Lent by the Royal Academy of Arts, the drawings will be displayed alongside JMW Turner’s celebrated masterpiece Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus – Homer’s Odyssey, lent by the National Gallery and taking centre stage in the exhibition. The painting depicts Odysseus’s escape from the one-eyed giant Polyphemus.
Richard Johns, Professor of History of Art at the University of York and co-curator of the exhibition, said: “Flaxman inspired, and was inspired by, some of Europe’s greatest artists. As a sculptor, designer and illustrator, he bridged the ancient and modern worlds in ways that continue to resonate.
“Flaxman’s timeless illustrations of Homer’s epic poetry brought the Greek myths to life, sparking a visual tradition that we can see in Turner’s spectacular painting Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus, and which lives on in Christopher Nolan’s latest cinematic blockbuster The Odyssey.”
A rare, silver-gilt Shield of Achilles – one of only five in the world – on loan from Koopman Rare Art, designed by Flaxman, will also be on display.
Major loans in York
The exhibition also features a sculpture by Flaxman from National Museums Liverpool, University College London, and Sir John Soane’s Museum, an exceptional selection of Wedgwood chess pieces from the V&A Wedgwood Collection, and portraits from both the V&A South Kensington and the National Portrait Gallery.
Dr Beatrice Bertram, Senior Curator at York Art Gallery said: “As one of the artists who is commemorated on the facade of York Art Gallery, there’s no more fitting place to tell Flaxman’s story than in his home city. The phenomenal range of loans we have generously received from collections across the UK enables us to explore the breadth of his artistic practice, and we are thrilled to be working with the University of York on this show.”
Turner, Wedgwood & Beyond: Inspired by Flaxman opened at York Gallery on Friday 18 September 2026 and runs until Sunday 17 January 2027. For more information and to book tickets visit York Art Gallery’s website.
Further information
Turner, Wedgwood & Beyond: Inspired by Flaxman is supported by and produced in partnership between York Art Gallery and the University of York’s Department of History of Art, with further support by a generous bequest from Christine Doyle and Friends of York Art Gallery. The exhibition will be accompanied by a new publication produced in collaboration with the University of York and Paul Holberton Publishing, with generous support from the Paul Mellon Centre.
