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Visit Our Study Room

With over 1,500 artworks to explore, we welcome students, researchers, and creatives with expert support on hand to help you get the most from our collections

Visit us

The University of Reading Art Collection holds around 1,500 works of painting, drawing, sculpture and graphic art, including pieces of national and international significance.

About the Collection

Visit us

Based in The Museum of English Rural Life, Redlands Road, Reading RG1 5EX
Find out how to get here

Opening hours

Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 5pm
Art Study Room: By Appointment
Full opening hours

Closeup of Hephaestus from Pandora by John Dickson Batten

Online Exhibitions

Browse past displays & exhibitions from the University of Reading Art Collection

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Julius by Althea Wynne

Search our databases

Search thorough our collections on our online databases

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View of an open door next to a staircase. Above the door is black lettering which reads 'Art Study Room'

Using the Collection

Find out how to access our collections in person

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Upcoming Events

Print with a figure looking towards several buildings. There is a line of cows to the figure's left.
Talks and Seminars

Conversations with a Curator: Steve Marshall

Join us for a free online talk with Steve Marshall on Edward Bawden (1903-1989) and Farmed Landscapes.

Book Now
Dates

Thursday 2 April 2026, 19:30 – 20:30

Author

Public

Price

Free, please book

Location
Online
Red chalk portrait of James Joyce. The portrait is only Joyce's head which is facing to the left in a three-quarters view.
Talks and Seminars

Conversations with a Curator: Professor Conor Carville

Join us for a free online talk with Professor Conor Carville on artworks depicting the famous Irish writer, James Joyce.

Book Now
Dates

Thursday 5 February 2026, 19:30 – 20:30

Author

Public

Price

Free, please book

Location
Online
Closeup of an abstract print featuring a cat engraving an image of a cat into a surface.
Talks and Seminars

Conversations with a Curator: Dr Rhi Smith

Join us for a free online talk with Dr Rhi Smith on Women Artists and the Reading School of Art in the early 20th century.

Book Now
Dates

Thursday 5 March 2026, 19:30 – 20:30

Author

Public

Price

Free, please book

Location
Online
All events and exhibitions

Latest News and Views

Closeup of an abstract print featuring a cat engraving an image of a cat into a surface.
Published Date
December 19, 2025

A Cat Engraving … a Cat?

Kaiden Underwood, a third year History student at the University of Reading, explores a new acquisition by Agnes Miller Parker….

Reclining female nude with back to the viewer on a 'metal' bed stead. A second nude figure, visible from bust to hips, is in the background
Published Date
October 29, 2025

Art Collection Deep Dive: Walter Sickert’s The Little Bed 

This month, our summer placement student, Caitlin Johnson (BA Museum Studies and Archaeology, 2021-2025), takes a closer look at Walter…

Drawing of a figure from behind. The figure is wearing a smock and holding paint brushes and supplies.
Published Date
October 14, 2025

Seeking an Artist in Residence

The University Art Collection is seeking an Artist in Residence to respond to drawings in the Collection and run workshops…

Standing figure, wearing a long-sleeved dress with raised left hand
Published Date
September 3, 2025

Work Experience Diaries: Part 3

My Art Collections Work Experience Diary, July 2025  Written by Erin Ruiz I have been fortunate to be able to…

Four nude figures beside a stream. One sitting on the left bank with his knees pulled up, another to his right ascending the bank, a third in the distance on the right, supporting himself on the bank, a fourth standing in the shrubbery in the distance. Letters are lightly scratched in the river and bank.
Published Date
August 21, 2025

Work Experience Diaries: Part 2

My Art Collections Work Experience Diary, July 2025  Written by Winki Wang, Year 10 at The Holt School  I recently…

Drawing of a figure looking over their shoulder towards the left of the artwork.
Published Date
August 14, 2025

Work Experience Diaries: Part 1

My Art Collections Work Experience Diary, July 2025  Written by Xionne Cooper, Year 10 at The Holt School  My name…

All news and views

Discover, Learn, Unwind

Discover the University of Reading Art Collection

The University of Reading Art Collection presents artworks from the 16th century to today, with rotating displays, a dedicated Study Room, and digital access.

Explore past exhibitions

Online Collections

Browse exclusive digital showcases from the University of Reading Art Collection and revisit exhibitions you may have missed, all from the comfort of home.