On January 9, 2011, Barrington Watson, the Jamaican master-painter celebrated his eightieth birthday. To mark the occasion and to mark nearly sixty years of the sustained growth and development of this unique artist, the National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ) mounted a retrospective exhibition of his work – titled Barrington: A Retrospective – which opened on the final day of his eightieth year, January 8, 2012. Barrington: A Retrospective is arguably the most ambitious exhibition ever staged by the NGJ and not only pays just tribute to this major Jamaican artist but also provides opportunities for the local and overseas promotion of Jamaican art and the work of the NGJ itself.

In a core exhibition at the NGJ itself and in two annex exhibitions held at the Bank of Jamaica and the Olympia International Art Centre, both in Kingston, a selection of two hundred and fifty-two of his works charts the major developments, both stylistically and thematically, of this Jamaican master. The paintings, which were borrowed from major collections in Jamaica and abroad, including some twenty works from the NGJ’s own holdings, are supported by choice examples of the artist’s graphic works: drawing and original prints.

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