Christ Church Picture Gallery

Christ Church Picture Gallery is an art museum in Oxford that houses a significant collection of European paintings and drawings spanning multiple centuries. The building itself was designed by contemporary architects to provide an appropriate setting for the historical artworks.

The collection was founded in the early 18th century by a British general who bequeathed over a hundred paintings and numerous drawings. This marked the beginning of one of Britain's earliest public art collections.

The collection focuses on Italian art across several centuries, displaying works by master artists from this period. Visitors can see pieces that held significant importance in European artistic development.

The museum is open during weekday and Saturday afternoons and evenings, with slightly shorter hours on Sunday. Visitors reach the gallery through an entrance adjacent to the college grounds near Oriel Square.

The museum preserves empty frames on its walls that mark a theft incident from 2020, when several notable masterworks were stolen. These unfilled frames are now part of the display and tell their own story.

Location: Oxford

Inception: 1968

Official opening: 1968

Operator: Christ Church

Part of: Christ Church

Address: Christ Church, Oxford OX1 1DP

Website: https://chch.ox.ac.uk/gallery

GPS coordinates: 51.75070,-1.25450

Latest update: December 8, 2025 20:01