Did you know that prior to the nineteenth century, public art galleries did not exist in England.
Despite the first national public museum (The British Museum) opening its doors in 1759, art from the Old Masters were still in the hands of private collectors. But even when Britain's first purpose-built public art gallery (Dulwich Picture Gallery) opened in 1817, the gallery only allowed free admissions to the public where one would have to write and request tickets in advance, effectively ruling out the illiterate.
These vast collections were displayed in dense and crowded arrangements, inspired by Paris salons where paintings were mounted from floor to ceiling. The National Gallery (opening in 1824) broke from this traditional in the mid-1800’s and started to experiment with picture arrangements and how the colour and aesthetics of the gallery would impact the viewer. Early experimentations favoured greyish green backgrounds for its neutrality, whereas later dark red walls aimed to contrast and compliment the opulent and ornamental gold frames and the typically cooler tones in the paintings.
Image source: Unsplash
Development in the States around the same time looked at smaller gallery rooms where the collections were displayed sparingly with a lower volume of works on each wall – the effect was a more intimate, homely, and comfortable viewing experience for viewers, as if displayed in their own homes. A stark contrast to emerging aesthetics of the early 20th century.
Experimentation in the gallery continued throughout the 19th century, yet the largest cultural impact on the gallery space came during the 1930’s in Germany. As abstraction began to take over modern art, there was more emphasis on light and colour within the art itself and artists like De Stijl and the Bauhaus preferred to display their works on white walls, thus minimising environmental distractions. However, its aesthetic, known as the White Cube, wasn’t standardised in Germany until the Third Reich took control where it then became the gallery standard.
While some have argued the aesthetic reflected the Nazi Party’s views on cultural purity, the white walls were meant to be transcendental, rather than isolated and oppressive. Nevertheless, it was the work of Alfred H. Barr Jr., American art historian and the first director of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), who is accredited for developing the white cube further in the States as his contempt for fascist and social interference in the arts encouraged the white cube's focus on freedom and aesthetics.
The aesthetic has come to define the gallery space: plain white walls, polished wooden floors, and evenly spaced artworks lit from above. There is value in its flexibility and neutrality, allowing the viewer's gaze to concentrate on individual pieces while omitting any external distractions that may interfere with the viewing experience.
While the White Cube still dominates many modern galleries, we are still experimenting with these spaces with a huge cultural shift in how we think about accessibility and public engagement within the GLAM sector. Digitising art and creating digital interpretations of exhibitions can extend their longevity but can also make collections accessible to viewers in various locations and time zones, plus those with chronic illness or physical disabilities who may find it difficult to visit the gallery. Many traditional galleries are still difficult to navigate for people with physical, sensory, and cognitive issues, particularly around peak days, and times for popular attractions.
In response to the pandemic, the National Gallery utilised two years of funding from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Digital Accelerator programme to further its digital output. The National Gallery’s Imaginarium was one of the three major digital projects the gallery unveiled in celebration of its bicentenary celebrations. The virtual gallery space is designed to be a “slow experience” of the artworks, allowing viewers to take more time to examine the pieces in which they might gain deeper insights to a piece, compared to a quick glance. This helps us to find more emotional connects, mindfulness and wellbeing.
Considering the gallery is one of the top recommended attractions in London, it’s not hard to imagine how crowded the gallery wings can become; each person wanting to linger and admire the artworks before someone comes along wanting to do the exact same thing. All of which ends with congested hallways and people pushing past with a gentle, “Excuse me; pardon me; can I just get by?”
The intent of any GLAM institution is to be audience centric and in doing so, must engage with its users and give them the opportunity to steer what comes next. This digital space creates new ways to interact with the collection and with other users, giving the collection a new lease of life. Additionally, it allows for an undisrupted view and permits users to get up close with paintings which are usually roped off to prevent patrons from getting too close or are otherwise obscured by barriers or protective glass.
Digital Scholarship designed Hartley’s own virtual gallery, mimicking the gallery space on Level 4, outside of the Archives & Special Collections. While the space embraces the white cube, it deviates from the original philosophy that art is self-sufficient and consequently “best” presented with minimal information, enforcing a negative power dynamic between “the all-knowing” curator and “lesser” viewer. Instead, the space nurtures visitor appreciation and understanding of art through contextual information and accessibility.
Created by Grant Cox, the gallery space was created in relation to last year’s SED Summer Exhibition based around the theme of “Transformation”. Using programmes like SketchFab and Unreal Engine, he has been able to recreate the gallery space as a ThingLink with additional features like 3D models, videos, text, and audio to compliment the artworks and give more accessibility options to the viewer.
The 3D models were scanned by James Macdonell using a mix of photogrammetry and 3D light scanners. The results are faithful representations of the artwork that can be rotated and “handled” without needing to be physically present with the work or potentially damaging the pieces in the process.
Digital galleries like this explore how digital tools can help us unveil exhibitions from the past and preserve new and future exhibitions, for both research and enjoyment. Digitised exhibitions can be created as concepts for funding or as ‘born-digital’ galleries that exist as its own stand-alone piece.
Looking forward, GLAM will continue to research and develop new ways to engage and interact with its users – with new digital tools like VR, AR, 3D scanning and modelling, the possibilities are endless.
Digital Scholarship plans to use the virtual gallery again for this year’s SED exhibition “Connection” opening 16th July 2025 – the physical artworks can be seen in the Level 4 Gallery over the summer.
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