Antony Dracup: An Artist’s View of his Adopted Home

This fascinating exhibition presents the work of the late Antony Dracup, one of Shropshire’s great ‘adopted’ creative minds.

The exhibition includes a selection of oil paintings and personal effects that highlight Dracup’s skill at capturing the intricate detail of Shropshire’s architecture, natural beauty and industrial heritage. They also provide an insight into an individual who, like the artists of the earlier Art & Crafts movement, chose to depart from conventional paths and followed his creative aspirations.

Antony Dracup was a self-taught artist and polymath born in Hertfordshire in 1930. He moved to West London in 1956, where he lived and worked as a professional artist until 1981. In 1982, Dracup relocated to Shropshire, where he continued to produce a prolific number of paintings, mainly focusing on Bridgnorth and the surrounding area.

In addition to his artistic work, Dracup created a unique home in his Bridgnorth terrace by painting murals of local scenes on the walls, carving a cave dwelling into the sandstone cliff behind and adding decorative flourishes using recycled and repurposed materials.

The 11 oil paintings within the exhibition celebrate Shropshire’s iconic natural and built heritage, including the River Severn, the Severn Valley Railway, Daniels Mill viaduct, the Iron Bridge and numerous townscapes. Exhibition visitors will also be able to enjoy a slideshow featuring a wide selection of his watercolours.

The exhibition is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm.  The Museum is closed on Sundays and Mondays.  The exhibition is situated in the Balcony Gallery, which is occasionally closed for private functions.  Please check the exhibition is open before travelling.   Admission to the Museum and exhibition is free of charge, however donations to support the Museum’s work are warmly encouraged.