national gallery mysterious altarpiece 20 million

London's National Gallery has acquired a mysterious altarpiece painted by an unknown artist around 1510, paying £16.4 million ($21.8 million) for the work titled *The Virgin and Child with Saints Louis and Margaret*. The painting, arranged via a private sale by Sotheby's and funded by the American Friends of the National Gallery London, features unusual details including a uniquely expressive dragon beneath baby Jesus's feet, playful angels, and subtle symbolic references. The acquisition marks the museum's bicentennial and will go on public display on May 10 in the rehung Sainsbury Wing.

Kengo Kuma Architects Chosen to Design New Wing of London’s National Gallery

Kengo Kuma and Associates has been selected to lead the design of a massive £750 million extension to London’s National Gallery, titled Project Domani. The Tokyo-based firm won the commission over sixty-four other competitors and will collaborate with UK firms BDP and MICA to develop the new wing on land currently occupied by a hotel and office complex. The design features a dual-level approach, utilizing vaults and arches on the main floor to harmonize with existing galleries while introducing a modern geometric aesthetic on the upper level.

The art world in 2025: our review of the biggest stories and shows—podcast

The final episode of The Week in Art podcast for 2025 reviews the year's biggest stories and exhibitions. Host Ben Luke is joined by The Art Newspaper's contemporary art correspondent Louisa Buck, art market editor Kabir Jhala, and Americas editor-in-chief Ben Sutton to discuss topics ranging from the Los Angeles wildfires in January and President Trump's cultural policies to the crisis at the Louvre, the National Gallery in London's expansion plans and their impact on its relationship with Tate, and the art market's shift toward the Middle East for fairs and auctions. The guests also select their top exhibitions and works of the year, featuring artists such as Kerry James Marshall, Helen Chadwick, Coco Fusco, Jack Whitten, Henri Matisse, and Hamad Butt.

Ten essential works of art to see at the National Gallery in London

The National Gallery in London, home to over 2,300 paintings spanning Western European art from Giotto to Cézanne and including early modernism by Picasso, has recently completed a comprehensive rehang of its collection at its Trafalgar Square site. This coincides with the reopening of the Sainsbury Wing after a two-year renovation. The article highlights ten essential works to see, including Jan van Eyck's *The Arnolfini Portrait* (1434), Leonardo da Vinci's *The Burlington House Cartoon* (around 1506-08), and Paolo Veronese's *The Adoration of the Kings* (1573), emphasizing the gallery's free admission and its role as a cultural treasure.

Re-opening of Sainsbury Wing at National Gallery

The Sainsbury Wing at the National Gallery in London has reopened after a three-year refurbishment, inaugurated by King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The wing now serves as the main entrance, featuring large windows that flood the foyer with natural light, a high-tech screen showcasing masterpieces, and a rehang of the collection that groups early Renaissance and early Christian art together in rooms 51-66. Notable highlights include Sir Richard Long's 'Mud Sun', Paula Rego's 'Crivelli's Garden', a new unsigned Netherlandish altarpiece, and the temporary display of the Coronation portraits of the King and Queen until June 5th.

Tale of a Riderless Horse

The National Gallery in London is hosting an exhibition titled "Stubbs: Portrait of a Horse," focusing on the 18th-century artist George Stubbs and his masterful equine paintings. The show features studies, drawings, and key works like "Whistlejacket" (c. 1762) and "Scrub" (c. 1762), highlighting Stubbs's unique anatomical knowledge gained from dissecting horses.

Major News from International Museums: London's National Gallery Expands and Pompidou Opens in Seoul

Le grandi novità dei musei internazionali: cresce la National Gallery di Londra e il Pompidou apre a Seoul

The National Gallery in London has selected a design team led by Kengo Kuma and Associates, alongside BDP and MICA, to lead its massive £750 million expansion project titled 'Project Domani.' Chosen from 65 international entries, the winning proposal will transform the St Vincent House site into a new museum wing featuring a stepped Portland stone facade, public roof gardens, and light-filled galleries. The project coincides with the institution's bicentenary and has already secured half of its required funding through private and anonymous donations.

A Degas for London

Un Degas pour Londres

The National Gallery in London has acquired a pastel by Edgar Degas through the UK's 'acceptance in lieu' scheme, which allows heirs to settle inheritance taxes by transferring important works of art to public collections. The artwork depicts ballet dancers not in performance, but in a state of exhaustion and idleness backstage, capturing a raw, unglamorous moment.

From intimate still lives to shadowed saints: the many sides of Spanish painter Francisco de Zurbarán go on show at London’s National Gallery

The National Gallery in London is opening a major survey exhibition of Spanish painter Francisco de Zurbarán (1598-1664), the first on this scale since 1987. The show expands beyond his famous austere saints to include intimate still-lifes, late private devotional works, and large-scale altarpiece reconstructions. Curator Daniel Sobrino Ralston highlights two newly discovered paintings, including *Alcarraza on a Plate*, and a rare reconstruction of the second tier of the Charterhouse of Jerez de la Frontera altarpiece, reuniting works from museums in Grenoble and Poznań.

Reimagining communities: inside the Hong Kong International Cultural Summit

The Hong Kong International Cultural Summit returns on March 22-23, gathering cultural leaders from 14 countries in the West Kowloon Cultural District to discuss how institutions can reimagine their relationship with communities. Key figures like M+ Museum Director Suhanya Raffel, Hong Kong Palace Museum Director Louis Ng, and WestK CEO Betty Fung highlight the district's cross-disciplinary, audience-focused approach.

Francisco de Zurbarán: Paintings So Real, You Can Hardly Resist Believing

An exhibition of works by Spanish Baroque painter Francisco de Zurbarán has opened at London’s National Gallery, showcasing his strikingly realistic still lifes and religious scenes. The show highlights Zurbarán’s masterful use of light, texture, and dramatic composition to create paintings that feel almost tangible, drawing viewers into their intimate, contemplative worlds.

First-ever oil painting depicting an artist at work to star in female Old Master exhibition

The first-ever exhibition dedicated to Catharina van Hemessen, Europe's most important early female painter, will open at the Snijders&Rockox House in Antwerp (15 October 2026 – 31 January 2027) before traveling to the National Gallery in London (4 March – 30 May 2027). The show will reunite most of her surviving works for the first time in nearly 500 years, including her groundbreaking 1548 self-portrait at the Kunstmuseum Basel, which is the earliest known self-portrait by a female artist and the earliest surviving oil painting depicting an artist at work. Archival research on her family is underway, and the exhibition will also feature works by her father, Jan Sanders van Hemessen.

Which of these five museums is the best in the UK?

The Art Fund has announced the shortlist for the 2024 Museum of the Year award, featuring the National Gallery, V&A East Storehouse, The Box in Plymouth, the Fitzwilliam Museum, and Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery. The finalists represent a diverse cross-section of British heritage, ranging from London’s "Goliath" institutions celebrating bicentenaries to regional hubs undergoing major architectural transformations. The winner, to be announced on June 25, will receive a £120,000 prize, while runners-up each receive £20,000.

The National Gallery x hololive DEV_IS ReGLOSS’s Juufuutei Raden Announce a World-First Crossover Collaboration, Launching May 20 | NEWS

COVER Corporation has announced a collaboration between hololive DEV_IS ReGLOSS VTuber Juufuutei Raden and The National Gallery, London, launching May 20, 2026. Titled “When Raden Meets Art – A Shared Art Journey”, the project features three masterpieces selected by Raden—J.M.W. Turner’s “Rain, Steam, and Speed – The Great Western Railway”, Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers”, and Claude Monet’s “The Water-Lily Pond”—reimagined into exclusive merchandise including fragrance mists, scarves, and cup sets. Raden, a certified curator in Japan, also recorded an audio guide highlighting 20 works from the Gallery, and the entire ReGLOSS team visited the museum for a behind-the-scenes experience.

Zurbarán: a ‘magnificently choreographed’ showing of the Spanish ‘genius’

The article reviews the first-ever British exhibition dedicated to Spanish Baroque painter Francisco de Zurbarán, held at the National Gallery in London. The show brings together 40 works from collections spanning Seville to San Diego, featuring his hyper-real religious paintings and radiant still lifes, described as a 'magnificently choreographed' trawl through his oeuvre. Critics praise the exhibition for its dramatic lighting and revelatory presentation, though some note uneven quality in his later works.

German Expressionism at the National Gallery

The National Gallery in London will stage its first exhibition of modern German paintings, 'German Expressionism: Modern Painting 1900–1918', in spring 2027, before traveling to the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin in autumn 2027. This is the first UK and Ireland exhibition since the 1960s to cover both key Expressionist groups, Die Brücke and Der Blaue Reiter, featuring over fifty international loans from institutions such as Berlin's Neue Nationalgalerie, Brücke Museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago, alongside works from private collections.

Zurbarán at the National Gallery - an unmissable show of baroque genius

The National Gallery in London presents a landmark exhibition of Francisco de Zurbarán (1598-1664), the first major retrospective of the Spanish Baroque master in Britain. In collaboration with the Louvre and the Art Institute of Chicago, the gallery has assembled over 40 works from institutions worldwide, including Seville and San Diego. The show features Zurbarán's electrifying religious paintings and radiant still lifes, displayed in darkened galleries that echo the chiaroscuro of his compositions. Highlights include the shattering *The Crucifixion* (1627) and *Saint Peter Nolasco's Vision of Saint Peter the Apostle* (1629), which demonstrate his hyper-real, sculptural approach to sacred subjects.

Zurbarán at the National Gallery is more agony than ecstasy

The article reviews the exhibition 'Zurbarán' at the National Gallery in London, arguing that the show fails to capture the spiritual intensity and emotional power of the Spanish Baroque painter's work. It criticizes the curatorial choices, suggesting the display feels flat and lacks the ecstatic religious fervor that defines Zurbarán's best paintings, leaving viewers with a sense of agony rather than transcendence.

National Gallery | London, Highlights, History, Collection, & Facts

The National Gallery in London, established in 1824, continues to evolve as the primary repository for Great Britain’s national collection of European paintings. Originally founded with the purchase of 38 works from John Julius Angerstein, the museum now houses over 2,600 masterpieces, including significant Italian Renaissance, Dutch, and French Impressionist works. Recent developments include a 2025 announcement that the institution will expand its remit to collect 20th-century art, supported by a new wing planned for the 2030s.

London’s National Gallery to cut staff as it faces £8.2m deficit

London's National Gallery is implementing significant staff cuts and restructuring its operations to address a projected £8.2 million deficit for the 2026-27 financial year. The institution will first offer a voluntary exit scheme to its nearly 500 staff, with compulsory redundancies possible if savings are insufficient. The financial crisis stems from rising operational costs, stagnant income, and visitor numbers that have not fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels, despite a recent boost from a popular Van Gogh exhibition.

Neo-Impressionism makes its thoroughly Modernist point at National Gallery in London

The National Gallery in London is presenting 'Radical Harmony: Helene Kröller-Müller’s Neo-Impressionists,' an exhibition that brings together 58 works from the Kröller-Müller Museum in the Netherlands. The show centers on Georges Seurat’s 'Le Chahut' (1889-90) and features artists such as Paul Signac, Anna Boch, Jan Toorop, and Théo Van Rysselberghe, highlighting the movement's radical, dot-based pointillist technique and its ties to anarchism. Co-curator Julien Domercq frames Neo-Impressionism as the first international Modern art movement, a precursor to abstraction and Fauvism.

Ten surprises at the National Gallery’s five-star Van Gogh exhibition

The National Gallery in London opened its exhibition "Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers" (14 September 2024–19 January 2025) to five-star reviews, attracting a record 335,000 visitors. The article reveals ten surprising details about individual paintings on loan from around the world, including a self-portrait that once hung in the American ambassador's residence in Regent's Park, a painting executed on a dish towel when Van Gogh ran out of canvas, and the revelation that casino mogul Steve Wynn owns The Trinquetaille Bridge. Other surprises include a stark white replica frame for Roses, inspired by frames designed by Dr. Paul Gachet, and the fact that The Public Garden, Arles is owned by a foundation set up by Bernard Arnault, the world's third richest person.

Vermeer’s vandal: the untold story of a vicious attack at London's National Gallery in 1968

In 1968, Vermeer's painting *Young Woman Seated at a Virginal* (1670-72) was vandalized at the National Gallery in London. An unidentified attacker used a sharp instrument, likely a razor blade, to cut around the woman's head, attempting to remove it entirely. The damage was discovered hours later by a visitor, and the painting was swiftly restored; previously unreleased photographs of the attack have now been supplied to The Art Newspaper. The vandal was never caught, and their motivation remains unknown.

The Big Review | The reopening and rehang of the Sainsbury Wing, National Gallery, London ★★★★★

The National Gallery in London has reopened its Sainsbury Wing after a renovation led by architect Annabelle Selldorf, designed to create a more welcoming entrance. The wing, originally designed by Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown in 1991, now features a transformed ground floor with double-height spaces, improved lighting, and a new piazza linking to Trafalgar Square. The reopening coincides with the gallery's bicentenary and a major collection rehang titled "C C Land: the Wonder of Art," sponsored by a Hong Kong property developer. Old favorites like the chapel-like space for Piero della Francesca's works are restored, and new commissions, including Richard Long's "Mud Sun," greet visitors.

First look: the ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ rehang at London's National Gallery

On May 10, London's National Gallery will unveil its first full rehang of the collection since the Sainsbury Wing opened in 1991. The wing has been closed for over two years to create a larger entrance foyer. Christine Riding, the director of collections and research, oversaw the rehang, which she calls a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity. Nearly 40% of the collection—1,045 paintings—will be displayed, including 919 from the collection and 126 on loan. The rehang is sponsored by Hong Kong-based property developer C C Land and is called "C C Land: The Wonder of Art." Works by female artists have been given greater prominence, and some paintings were conserved or reframed. The chronological arrangement from west to east remains similar, but many pictures have been repositioned to highlight artistic influences across generations.

Did Zurbarán Believe What He Painted?

An exhibition of Francisco de Zurbarán's 17th-century religious paintings at London's National Gallery prompts a critic to question whether the artist's personal faith influenced his artistic skill. The show features monumental works from Spanish churches and monasteries, displayed dramatically against black walls, including crucifixion scenes, monks, and saints. The critic notes that no personal records of Zurbarán survive—only contracts—leaving his beliefs unknown, and compares him to Agnolo Bronzino, who painted pious scenes but wrote obscene verses. A small painting of a crucified Christ with a painter, possibly a self-portrait of Bronzino, is presented as ambiguous evidence of faith.

national gallery london citizen panel

The National Gallery in London is launching a citizens' panel called NG Citizens, composed of 20 randomly selected members of the public from across the UK. Starting with 15,000 household invitations, a civil lottery will narrow the group to 50, then to 20 individuals who will serve for five years, advising the museum on its purpose, priorities, and public value, though not directly on artwork selection or exhibitions. The initiative is overseen by the public participation charity Involve and follows similar models at institutions like the Federal Art Gallery in Bonn and the Dresden State Art Collections.

A Stunning New Italian Restaurant Inspired By Classic Paintings Has Opened In The National Gallery For Picturesque Dining

Acclaimed Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli and his wife Plaxy have opened a new restaurant called 'Locatelli' and an espresso bar named 'Bar Giorgio' in the National Gallery's refurbished Sainsbury Wing in London. The openings on May 10 mark the completion of a two-and-a-half-year Bicentenary renovation project of the wing. The menu and decor draw inspiration from the gallery's surroundings and the works of Caravaggio, featuring Italian classics and seasonal dishes. Bar Giorgio offers Italian coffee and maritozzi pastries, aiming to bring Italian coffee culture to gallery visitors.

Masterworks from Jacob Rothschild collection go to London's National Gallery and V&A under acceptance in lieu scheme

Two masterworks from the collection of the late Jacob Rothschild—Guercino's *King David* (1651) and John Deare's *Edward and Eleanor* (1790)—have been allocated to London's National Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) respectively under the UK's acceptance in lieu (AIL) scheme. The Guercino painting settles £5.6 million in inheritance tax, and will be reunited with two related Guercino works already at the National Gallery. The marble relief by Deare enters the V&A's collection.

London's National Gallery buys mysterious altarpiece for $20m

London's National Gallery has acquired a mysterious altarpiece, "Virgin and Child with Saints Louis and Margaret and Two Angels" (1500-10), for just over $20 million in a private sale arranged through Sotheby's. The painting, funded by the American Friends of the National Gallery London, was sold by a descendant of the Blundell family and had been kept on the Lulworth Estate in Dorset. The artist remains unknown, with proposed names including Jan Gossaert, Jean Hey, and the Master of Saint Giles, and no other works by the same hand are known. The altarpiece was last publicly exhibited in 1960 and has only recently been shown privately to specialists, who remain divided on its attribution.