WESTERN ART PRINT ROOM

Works on paper fade quickly when exposed to light and are extremely fragile, making it impossible to keep them on permanent display.

The Ashmolean’s Print Room offers access to beautiful and significant drawings, watercolours and prints by a wide range of artists from the 15th century to the present day including Michelangelo, Rubens, Ruskin and Degas, among others.

OPENING HOURS

Open Tuesday–Friday, 10.30am–12.30pm and 2–4pm

In addition, the Print Room will be open on the second and third Saturdays of the month, 10.30am–12.30pm and 2–4pm: 
11 May, 18 May, 8 Jun, 15 Jun, 13 Jul, 20 Jul, 14 Sep, 21 Sep, 12 Oct, 19 Oct.

August closure: The Print Room will be closed for four weeks in August, Sat 3 Aug – Mon 2 Sept 2024, inclusive. We will reopen on Tue 3 Sept 2024.

Admission is FREE but pre-booking is recommended.

  • We recommend that visitors book an appointment at least one week in advance
  • If you are running late or need to cancel your appointment, please let our Print Room staff know as soon as possible
  • Drop-in appointments will be accommodated where possible, but must be requested before 3pm

 

BOOKING

We recommend that visitors book an appointment at least one week in advance.

Click on the link below to book via our online form, or contact us by email or phone. 

MAKE A BOOKING

Please do tell us what you'd like to view on your visit. You can request your area of special interest OR ask to view the Print Room Highlights Selection.

ABOUT YOUR VISIT

Read our full visiting guide (PDF)

To access the Print Room, talk to our staff at the Museum's Information Desk on the Ground Floor. They will arrange your visit and show you how to find us.

When visiting the Print Room

  • all bags must be left in our lockers
  • please only use pencils (not propelling pencils) to make notes
  • no food, drink or chewing gum is allowed

There is no lift access to the Print Room, but we can make items from the collection available to you if you have difficulty with stairs. Please let us know in advance if you would like to arrange this.

REQUESTS TO VIEW MICHELANGELO AND RAPHAEL

Michelangelo and Raphael’s drawings are some of the most popular works in the collection. They are also very fragile, so in order to preserve these works for future generations, we ask that you book well in advance in writing.


 

PRINT ROOM HIGHLIGHTS SELECTION

If you're not sure what to view in the Print Room, we've prepared a Print Room Highlights Selection as an introduction. You can ask for this in your booking request.

This group of six objects has been specially curated by Print Room staff to showcase examples from all the major European Schools of Art.

It features prints, watercolours and drawings in various media, from the 16th to the 20th century, and includes works by well-known artists such as Dürer, Rembrandt and Turner.

HOW TO CONTACT US

Western Art Print Room
Ashmolean Museum
Beaumont Street
Oxford
OX1 2PH

Tel: +44 (0)1865 288289; +44 (0)1865 278049
Email: waprintroom@ashmus.ox.ac.uk

MAKE A BOOKING ENQUIRY

The Print Room is currently experiencing a high demand for appointments, and so please make your request at least one week in advance.

You can find our Privacy Policy here.