Cardinal Newman 1801-90 - Susan Foister

The Victorian, John Henry Newman, found himself at the centre of controversy. As an Anglican don and a leader of the Oxford Movement he wrestled with the problems of the relationship between the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches which are still making news headlines today. His solution - to convert to Roman Catholicism in 1845 - stunned his contemporaries: Gladstone saw it as the greatest religious crisis since the Reformation. As a Catholic, Newman continued to be an important and controversial figure in England; his significance was recognized by the accolade of his elevation to Cardinal in 1879.;Newman is probable best known today for his writings: his "Apologia pro Vita Sua" is an autobiography, while "The Idea of a University" formulates a blueprint which is still recognized as the model for the functioning of universities today. Newman also wrote some of the best-loved English verse - the hymn "Lead Kindly Light" and "The Dream of Gerontius".;The exhibition includes images of Newman spanning the whole of his life and from many points of view: miniatures, busts and formal oil portraits, caricatures, sketches and photographs, most of which have never been exhibited since Newman's lifetime. Portraits of many of Newman's contemporaries are also included, as well as a selection of important original manuscripts of Newman's best-known writings.;Other parts of the exhibition focus on Newman's early life, his career at Oxford, and his involvment with the Catholic Oratorian movement in England. Special sections are devoted to the historical background of the period, including the Gothic revival controversies linked with the Oxford Movement, and to the composition of Elgar's "Dream of Gerontius".;This catalogue accompanies the exhibition.