Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery will be closed on Wednesday 17 June for a private event. There will be no public access to the site on this date. Thank you for your understanding.
“There is something radical, strange and enigmatic about [Caro’s] heavy works, and in the setting of architect Sir John Soane’s Pitzhanger Manor in west London, they simultaneously shine, intrigue and bear down on the building.”
Edwin Heathcote
Financial Times
Anthony Caro (1924–2013), widely regarded as one of the 20th century’s most influential sculptors, is the subject of Pitzhanger’s spring exhibition, opening on what would have been his 99th birthday.
Caro heralded a revolution in sculpture in the 1960s, redefining what sculpture was and what it could be. His abstract constructions in painted steel overturned conventional ideas about materials, methods, surface, scale and space. Architecture was an important source of his inspiration, which he described as “perhaps the purest abstract visual form.”
The exhibition will focus on the resurgence and development of architectural themes within Caro’s sculpture, comprising 16 key works created between 1983–2013. The pieces explore contained space and its relation to the human figure; architectural features such as passages, doors and steps in the form of sculpture; the use of specific materials – notably Caro’s use of coloured Perspex, which echoes Soane’s use of stained glass, as well as steel, wood, concrete, stoneware and brass; and the relationship between exterior and interior areas.
“This exhibition develops a fertile dialogue between Caro’s sculpture and the unique character of Soane’s building.”
Paul Moorhouse
Curator, Chief Executive of the Anthony Caro Centre
Highlights of the exhibition include The Child’s Tower Room (1983–4), the earliest work on display which breaches the boundaries between sculpture and architecture with spiral steps and hidden chambers, which children will be invited to explore within the exhibition. Autumn Rhapsody (2012–13) reveals Caro, at the end of his life, continuing to develop the language of sculpture with concealed, enclosed spaces that the viewer glimpses through surrounding walls of transparent Perspex. The exhibition’s climax is formed by four large works in which he explored the transition from one place to another. A room devoted to small-scale sculptures will demonstrate the intimate nature of Caro’s architectural language.
“Wild — and children are loving it to bits”
Michael Glover
Hyperallergic
8 March – 10 September 2023
Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery
Ealing Green, London W5 5EQ
Access with general admission
Enjoy free admission during the following times:
+44 (0) 20 3985 8888, pitzhanger@pitzhanger.org.uk
£10
The definitive accompaniment to the exhibition.
£75
A landmark monograph on the pioneering artist, published by Phaidon Press.
£19.95
A concertina board book encourages children to their own two-metre long work of art by simply popping out pieces of card from the book.
“It’s impressive to have the opportunity to clamber over one of Caro’s works.”
Tabish Khan
Culture Whisper
“Caro’s large-scale abstract sculptures make a surprisingly neat fit with Sir John Soane’s extraordinary and patently eccentric Georgian manor house.”
The Independent
“The exhibition allows visitors to consider space, scale, form, materials, functionality, and beauty while looking at art.”
maxwell museums
“A fascinating interplay between Caro and Soane… functional materials are elevated into the realm of aesthetics.”
ICON Magazine
“An aesthetic collision not to be missed.”
Veronica Simpson
Studio International
Categories Art Exhibitions The Gallery
Tags Architecture Exhibitions London Festival of Architecture Summer Half Term Holidays
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Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery
Ealing Green, London W5 5EQ
Ticketing, Opening Hours and Tour Enquiries: foh@pitzhanger.org.uk
Retail Enquires: retail@pitzhanger.org.uk
Reception: 020 3985 8888
Venue Hire: 020 3994 0966
Office: 020 3994 0967
Wednesday - Sunday: 10:00 - 17:00
First Thursday of the month: 10:00 - 20:00
Monday - Tuesday: Closed
Bank Holidays: 10:00 - 17:00
Last admissions one hour before closing
Curator Tour: Phoebe Collings-James
Join us on Thursday 4 June at 6.30pm for a special curator tour of Phoebe Collings-James: a rose, a bridge, a house.
The tour is included with general admission as part of our Thursday Late opening. Simply book your general admission ticket for the evening to attend.
Questions? Email us at foh@pitzhanger.org.uk.
Pitzhanger Plant Sale: 7 June
Join us for the Pitzhanger Plant Sale 2026 in the Front Garden on Sunday 7 June, 10am–2pm. No ticket is required to visit the Plant Sale.
Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery will remain open as usual with general admission. If you would also like to visit the historic manor and our exhibitions, please continue to book your tickets as normal.
Pay-what-you-can admission for Ealing Borough residents is also available as usual from 10am–noon. Proof of eligibility required.
Questions? Email us at foh@pitzhanger.org.uk.
Important Visitor Information: 17 June
Please note that Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery will be closed on 17 June for a private event.
Questions? Email us at foh@pitzhanger.org.uk.
Main Gallery Closed: 17 June – 26 July
The main gallery will be closed from 17 June – 26 July for exhibition changeover following the close of Phoebe Collings-James: a rose, a bridge, a house.
Pitzhanger Manor and Marthe Armitage: Pattern Maker (closing on 19 July) remain open as usual during this period. The café and shop also remain open and can be visited without a ticket.
Discounted admission is available on dates when the site is open to the public during this period.
Questions? Email us at foh@pitzhanger.org.uk.
Important Visitor Information: 24–25 June
Please note that Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery will be closed on 24 and 25 June for a private event.
Questions? Email us at foh@pitzhanger.org.uk.
Main Gallery Closed: 17 June – 26 July
The main gallery will be closed from 17 June – 26 July for exhibition changeover following the close of Phoebe Collings-James: a rose, a bridge, a house.
Pitzhanger Manor and Marthe Armitage: Pattern Maker (closing on 19 July) remain open as usual during this period. The café and shop also remain open and can be visited without a ticket.
Discounted admission is available on dates when the site is open to the public during this period.
Questions? Email us at foh@pitzhanger.org.uk.
Partial Closures & Discounted Admission: 8–19 July
Parts of Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery will be temporarily closed from 8–19 July due to filming activity. The main gallery, café, shop, Monk’s Dining Room and Wonder Room will be closed during this period.
Discounted admission is available for access to the remaining areas of the Manor, including Marthe Armitage: Pattern Maker. A temporary pop-up shop will be available inside the Manor.
Questions? Email us at foh@pitzhanger.org.uk.
Main Gallery Closed: 24 July
The main gallery will remain closed on 24 July during exhibition changeover.
Pitzhanger Manor remains open with discounted admission. The café and shop also remain open as usual.
Questions? Email us at foh@pitzhanger.org.uk.
Main Gallery Closed: 26 July
The main gallery will remain closed on 26 July during exhibition changeover.
Pitzhanger Manor remains open with discounted admission. The café and shop also remain open as usual.
Questions? Email us at foh@pitzhanger.org.uk.
Partial Closure: 1 August, 10am–5pm
Please note that the Eating Room in Pitzhanger Manor will be closed at 10am–5pm on 1 August for a private function. Artworks in the affected space will be temporarily off view, but General Admission continues as usual. All rooms will be open before and after this time during our regular opening hours.
Questions? Email us at foh@pitzhanger.org.uk.
Partial Closure: 8 August, 12.30–5pm
Please note that the Eating Room in Pitzhanger Manor will be closed at 12.30–5pm on 8 August for a private function. Artworks in the affected space will be temporarily off view, but General Admission continues as usual. All rooms will be open before and after this time during our regular opening hours.
Questions? Email us at foh@pitzhanger.org.uk.
Partial Closure: 22 August, 2–4pm
Please note that the Upper Drawing Room in Pitzhanger Manor will be closed at 2–4pm on 22 August for a private function. Artworks in the affected space will be temporarily off view, but General Admission continues as usual. All rooms will be open before and after this time during our regular opening hours.
Questions? Email us at foh@pitzhanger.org.uk.
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