Southampton exhibiting masterpieces at the Treasure House Fair
29 Jun 2026
From 25 to 30 June 2026, Southampton City Art Gallery is exhibiting Surrealist masterpieces from its collection at the Treasure House Fair, London’s flagship summer art event, hosted at the historic Royal Hospital Chelsea.
The display commemorates the 90th anniversary of the seminal International Surrealist Exhibition, which introduced Surrealism to Britain in June 1936, and features works by key British Surrealists Roland Penrose and Paul Nash, trailblazing women artists Eileen Agar, Ithell Colquhoun, and Edith Rimmington, and celebrated figures of the movement, such as Paul Delvaux and Georgio de Chirico.
Staged in a dedicated exhibition space within the main hall of the fair, the show brings Southampton’s remarkable collection to an international audience. A selection of works from the exhibition will subsequently go on display at Southampton City Art Gallery from 11 July.
Councillor Sarah Bogle, Leader of Southampton Council, said: “90 years on, Southampton is delighted to share its outstanding Surrealist art collection with national and international audiences, giving a glimpse into the quality of cultural offering for people living and visiting the city and putting Southampton on the map.
“We are very proud to be the guardians of this remarkable collection built to instil civic pride in the city through the generous bequest of Robert Chipperfield, pharmacist, Justice of the Peace and Councillor. I and many others look forward to seeing the exhibition on its return to Southampton City Art Gallery having put on a good show in London.”
Thomas Woodham-Smith, Director and Cofounder of Treasure House Fair: “In June 1936, as Roland Penrose, David Gascoyne, André Breton and a near-apoplectic Salvador Dalí – encased in a deep-sea diving suit – unveiled the International Surrealist Exhibition, a group of visionary British dealers were simultaneously preparing the third edition of The Antique Dealers’ Fair, the world’s first vetted fair and precursor to Treasure House. Together, these two events bore witness to the effervescence and creative energy that have always set London’s art scene apart. Ninety years later, Treasure House Fair stands as proof that this spirit endures and we are thrilled to present Southampton City Art Gallery’s unrivalled collection of British Surrealism, with many works exhibited together for the first time in many decades.”
Image by David Owens Photography
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