ONE of the world’s most famous paintings will form the centrepiece of a major new exhibition when it comes to York Art Gallery in May.
As reported by the Press a year ago, Claude Monet's 1899 masterpiece The Water-Lily Pond will be going on display in York from May 10-September 8 this year as part of a programme to loan some of the National Gallery's finest paintings to regional art galleries.
Now art gallery bosses in York have revealed more details of the major new exhibition of which it will be the centrepiece.
The Monet will sit alongside other examples of French open-air painting, as well as Japanese prints which inspired the artist.
The exhibition will also feature a new commission from contemporary artist Michaela Yearwood-Dan.
A new Monet-inspired wildflower meadow has also been planted in the gardens near the gallery – and during the exhibition visitors will be encouraged to ‘get creative and engage in open-air sketching’.
Dr Beatrice Bertram, Senior Curator at York Art Gallery, said: “We are delighted to be hosting this beautiful and much-loved painting by Monet.
“Taking our cue from the artist’s lush canvas, our exhibition will explore open-air painting, celebrate the enjoyment of nature, landscapes and gardens, and connect indoor and outdoor spaces.
“In the Gallery, Monet will be joined by works from our own collection, key loans from national and regional museums, and a vibrant new commission by contemporary artist Michaela Yearwood-Dan.
“In the gardens nearby, Monet has inspired us to plant a wildflower meadow, and we’ll be encouraging audiences to get creative and engage in open-air sketching. We can’t wait to welcome visitors to York to see the painting and exhibition for themselves.”
The ‘Monet is York’ exhibition is part of a ‘National Treasures’ programme celebrating the National Gallery’s 200th anniversary.
In total, the National Gallery is loaning 12 paintings out to 12 galleries around the country from May 10.
Alexandra Kavanagh, Head of National Touring Exhibitions at the National Gallery, said: “As the National Gallery marks its third century of bringing people and paintings together, we are thrilled to be sharing twelve of our greatest masterpieces with museums across the UK.
“We’re delighted to be working with such a dynamic partner with a brilliant collection of their own in York Art Gallery. The new contexts in which visitors will get to see ‘The Water-Lily Pond’, thanks to contemporary response and the context of a museum garden, is exactly what we hoped National Treasures would help to spark as a programme.”
The Monet in York exhibition will run at York Art Gallery from May 10 to September 8.
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