National Gallery, London
The National Gallery is undertaking a major redisplay of its collection, today announced as C C Land: The Wonder of Art.
'C C Land: The Wonder of Art' will display over 1,000 works as part of the Gallery’s free offering at Trafalgar Square, including the most renowned and beloved works collected for the nation over the last 200 years, which will hang alongside new loans of works by Andrea Mantegna, Anthony van Dyck, William Hogarth and Vincent van Gogh and acquisitions by Nicolas Poussin, Eva Gonzalèz, Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas and a few surprises still to come.
Visitors can see the completed redisplay from 10 May 2025, to coincide with the opening to the public of the transformed Sainsbury Wing after more than two years of building works, reshaping the National Gallery for its third century and the next generation of visitors.
'The Wonder of Art' will follow a broadly chronological arrangement, with medieval and Renaissance pictures displayed in the Sainsbury Wing and later paintings in the Wilkins Building. It will include a range of more thematic interventions, such as ‘The Spectacle of Portraiture’, ‘Flowers’ and ‘Still Life’. Some newly restored works will be shown for the first time in several years, including the Pollaiuolo brothers’ The Martyrdom of San Sebastian and Jan van Eyck’s Portrait of a Man (Self Portrait?).
A series of rooms will feature the work of individual artists, marking the first time the Gallery’s works by Titian and Claude Monet will each be brought together. Other artists in focus include Peter Paul Rubens, Van Dyck, Rembrandt and Thomas Gainsborough. One new display focusses on Charles I (1600‒1649) as a collector and includes major loans from the Royal Collection.
We will reveal more about the making and meaning of art, including the importance of gold from 1260-1550; the use of the oil sketch to record nature; and the impact of pastel as a new medium.
'C C Land: The Wonder of Art' will also show anew how artists were inspired by those working before them. Specific pairings celebrating ‘artists looking at artists’ will include Vigée Le Brun’s Self Portrait in a Straw Hat, inspired by Rubens’s Portrait of Susanna Lunden(?) (‘Le Chapeau de Paille’), as well as Rembrandt’s Self Portrait at the Age of 34 , which is modelled on Titian’s Portrait of Gerolamo(?) Barbarigo.
The Gallery has drawn on years of research about our audiences, the type of stories they find most engaging and how they prefer to access them. This informs our new layered approach to the interpretation, which sets the collection in context, explores key themes and artists and integrates print with digital information.
Visitors are able to access information about the collection in multiple ways: from printed panels and labels on the walls, by scanning paintings with their smart phones for more in-depth digital content, to listening to a range of voices speaking from different perspectives in our new audio guide. We have also significantly enhanced our free interpretation offer for visitors with a range of access requirements.
The rehang is already in progress with some rooms being closed between now and May 2025 to facilitate the moving of paintings and refurbishment of the galleries. This will be carried out in stages to ensure the Gallery can keep as many rooms open to the public for as much time as possible.
Gabriele Finaldi, Director of the National Gallery, said: 'C C Land: The Wonder of Art has been in the making at the National Gallery for several years. Our Bicentenary provides the perfect opportunity to consider a new way to tell the story of the incredible paintings in our collection, and include some exciting surprises.'
Christine Riding, Director of Collections and Research, said: 'This is the first time in over 30 years that we have had such an exciting opportunity to rethink, and refresh, how we present one of the greatest art collections in the world, under one roof. Our visitors will discover anew some of the most famous and iconic works of art ever created, alongside personal favourites and recent discoveries and acquisitions.'
Dr Peter Lam, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of C C Land, said: 'The National Gallery's Bicentenary is a momentous occasion, and we at C C Land are delighted to be a part of it. 'C C Land: The Wonder of Art' will not only transform the visitor experience but also leave a lasting legacy for years to come. We believe in the power of art and are confident this redisplay will inspire and engage audiences for generations, aligning with our own long-term vision for sustainable growth and community impact.'
IMAGES
Full title | Self Portrait at the Age of 34 |
Artist | |
Artist dates | 1606 - 1669 |
Date made | 1640 |
Medium and support | oil on canvas |
Dimensions | 91 × 75 cm |
Inscription summary | Signed; Dated and inscribed |
Acquisition credit | Bought, 1861 |
Full title | Portrait of Susanna Lunden(?) ('Le Chapeau de Paille') |
Artist | |
Artist dates | 1577 - 1640 |
Date made | probably 1622-5 |
Medium and support | oil on wood |
Dimensions | 79 × 54.6 cm |
Acquisition credit | Bought, 1871 |
Full title | Self Portrait in a Straw Hat |
Artist | |
Artist dates | 1755 - 1842 |
Date made | 1782 |
Medium and support | oil on canvas |
Dimensions | 97.8 × 70.5 cm |
Acquisition credit | Bought, 1897 |
Full title | Portrait of Gerolamo (?) Barbarigo |
Artist | |
Artist dates | active about 1506; died 1576 |
Date made | about 1510 |
Medium and support | oil on canvas |
Dimensions | 81.2 × 66.3 cm |
Inscription summary | Signed |
Acquisition credit | Bought, 1904 |
Full title | Portrait of the Artist with his Wife and Daughter |
Artist | |
Artist dates | 1727 - 1788 |
Date made | about 1748 |
Medium and support | oil on canvas |
Dimensions | 92.1 × 70.5 cm |
Acquisition credit | Acquired under the acceptance-in-lieu scheme at the wish of Sybil, Marchioness of Cholmondeley, in memory of her brother, Sir Philip Sassoon, 1994 |
