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.
This rehang matters because it is a rare, comprehensive rethinking of one of the world's most visited museums, occurring only once in three decades. It reflects evolving curatorial priorities, such as emphasizing connections between artists across time and giving greater visibility to women artists. The increased display of the collection—potentially up to half after June—also signals a shift toward making more of the National Gallery's holdings accessible to the public. The rehang sets a new standard for how a major encyclopedic museum can balance tradition with contemporary concerns.