Record number: CHEGM: 1965 200

'Chester and the Roodee' by Flemish artist Pieter Tillemans (1684-1734), oil on canvas, c.1710-34. This is the earliest known painting of Chester. It shows horse-racing on the Roodee with a panorama of the city beyond. The city walls enclose the castle and several churches, with the Old Dee Bridge to the right. Presented by the 1st Duke of Westminster.

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Record number: CHEGM: 1967 114

'Virgin and Child with the Infant Baptist' attributed to Johann König (1586-1642), oil on silvered copper, c.1614. This represents the Christ Child accepting his future sacrificial death on the cross. The Virgin Mary points to the side of Christ’s body, foreshadowing the wound in his side at the Crucifixion. The Virgin and Child with the infant John the Baptist was a popular image for many artists over the centuries, commissioned by both private patrons and the Church. There are many symbolic references in the painting, but the most obvious are the words "Ecce Agnus Dei" or "Behold the Lamb of God" - Christ being the sacrificial lamb. Transferred from Chester Free Public Library.

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Record number: CHEGM: 1976 145

'Beeston Castle, Cheshire' by George Barret the elder (1728/32-1784), oil on canvas, c.1770. Beeston Castle stands on an isolated rock rising high (225 metres) above the Cheshire plain. It was begun by Ranulph III, 6th Earl of Chester, c.1220 and was largely destroyed by Parliamentary forces in 1646. This dramatic view of the ivy-clad ruin shows the inner gatehouse, its best preserved feature. The inner gatehouse is counter-balanced by the tree on the right, and the small, brightly-clad figures animate the composition and accentuate the scale of the architecture. George Barret, a popular Irish landscape painter, made this painting for Sir Peter Leicester of Tabley Hall, Northwich. Purchased with help from the V&A Purchase Grant Fund and The Art Fund.

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Record number: CHEGM: 1980 32

'‘Millipede’ on the Roodee, Chester' by William Tasker (1808-1852), oil on canvas, 1843. Organised horse-racing on the Roodee began in 1540 and continues to this day. ‘Millipede’ won the Chester Tradesmen’s Cup in 1843. The background shows the grandstand, the city walls (also used by spectators), and the Grosvenor Bridge. Purchased with help from the V&A Purchase Grant Fund, The Art Fund and Pilgrim Trust.

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Record number: CHEGM: 1991 232

'The Lock Gates, Chester' by Charles Ginner (1878-1952), oil on canvas, 1933. This bridge carries South View Roads over the Shropshire Union Canal. In the foreground is the Dee Basin, which leads to the River Dee. Beyond the lock is Tower Wharf Basin, where the canal to Ellesmere Port begins. The two chimneys, now demolished, belonged to a steam saw mill which supplied timber for the boatbuilding yard beside the canal. The Chester Canal was inaugurated in 1772 and became part of the Shropshire Union in 1842. Chester was a thriving canal port throughout the 19th century, but since the 1960's was mainly been used for pleasure craft. Purchased with help from the V&A Purchase Grant Fund and Pilgrim Trust.

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Record number: CHEGM: 1992 11

'Constance, Countess Grosvenor' by Alexander Munro (1825-1871), low-relief plaster medallion, c.1852. Lady Constance Leveson-Gower (1834-1880) was the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland, early patrons of the Pre-Raphaelite sculptor Alexander Munro. In 1852 Constance married Hugh Lupus, Earl Grosvenor, who became 1st Duke of Westminster in 1874. Purchased with help from the V&A Purchase Grant Fund and Pilgrim Trust.

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