A rare 17th-century self-portrait by William Dobson, on display at Tate Britain since November 2025, is now heading to Hull’s Ferens Art Gallery as part of a national tour aimed at connecting young people with the painting, jointly acquired by Tate and the National Portrait Gallery in 2025. The tour was announced yesterday, to coincide with International Youth Day.
Self-Portrait, painted around 1635-40, will be shown at the Ferens from 31 January to 23 May 2027, marking the start of the gallery’s centenary year, before moving on to Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum and finally the National Portrait Gallery in London.
The three-year tour follows the path of Dobson’s own life and career, with Hull chosen for its role in the first siege of the city in 1642, an early flashpoint in the build-up to the First English Civil War.
Civil War soundscape
As part of the Hull leg, young people from The Warren Youth Project will work with a musician to create a soundscape responding to the city’s Civil War history, to be shown alongside the exhibition as part of a wider project called Art Uprising!
Cllr Jackie Dad, Hull City Council’s deputy leader and portfolio holder for culture, said: “We are thrilled to be working with the Tate and National Portrait Gallery to bring William Dobson’s self-portrait to Hull as part of the first exhibition that will kick-start the Ferens Art Gallery’s centenary year celebrations.
“Through the generosity of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we are able to work with young people from The Warren Youth Project to respond musically to the painting and Hull’s rebellious role leading up to the Civil War.”
