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[National Museum of Western Art] “London National Gallery Exhibition” Press Release Report

At the National Museum of Western Art, from March 3, 2020 (Tuesday) to June 14, 2020 (Sunday),
"London National Gallery Exhibition"
is held. This time, we will tell you about the information of this exhibition that was announced at the press conference.

Purpose of the event

British treasure, all released for the first time in Japan.

London's National Gallery, one of the world ’s best “Beauty Hall of Fame”. The museum has attracted many people with a collection of high-quality Western paintings that can be called “textbooks of Western paintings”, but it is cautious to lend a large number of works so far, and there are exhibitions held outside the UK. It has never been opened.

The “London National Gallery” is the first large-scale collection exhibition outside the museum. Through 61 selected masterpieces from the Italian Renaissance to the post-Impressionist, we take a bird's-eye view of the history of Western painting while unraveling the history of the relationship between Britain and Europe.

Highlights of the exhibition



1.

World's leading beauty hall, London National Gallery, the world's first large-scale collection exhibition.

Gabriele Finalard, Director, National Gallery of London

Established in 1824, the London National Gallery now has about 6 million visitors to the top ten museums and museums in the world. This exhibition is a large-scale collection exhibition that the museum has never held anywhere in the world.

2.

All 61 works, including masterpieces by Vermeer and Van Gogh, will be shown for the first time in Japan.

Masterpieces from the Renaissance to the 19th-century post-impressionist are released at once. The world-renowned masterpieces such as Vermeer “Young woman sitting in front of the virgin”, Rembrandt “34-year-old self-portrait”, and Van Gogh “Sunflower” make their long-awaited first visit to Japan.

3.

Reading and understanding the history of Western painting with the keyword “exchange between Britain and Europe”.

The biggest feature of the London National Gallery is its collection, also known as a wide and high-quality “textbook of Western painting”. This collection of European art traces the history of Western painting from the perspective of “exchange between the UK and the European continent”.

Exhibition work introduction

Here are some of the works from this exhibition.

Vincent van Gogh 《Sunflower》

1888 Oil on canvas 92.1 × 73cm © The National Gallery, London.Bought, Courtauld Fund, 1924

"Proof of friendship" that Van Gogh gave Gaugan.

Four "sunflowers" drawn by Argh era Van Gogh dreaming of living together with his friend Paul Gorgan. Among them, it is exactly one of the two signed and recognized as suitable for decorating Gorgan's bedroom.
By changing the background from blue to yellow, the work is full of vitality. It looks as if his energy and creativity are radiating from the yellow paint that is painted thick and undulates the screen.

Canaletto (real name Giovanni Antonito Canal) 《Venice: Regatta of the Grand Canal》

C. 1735 Oil on canvas 117.2 × 186.7cm © The National Gallery, London. Wynn Ellis Bequest, 1876

Is Italy a booming destination for school trips at that time? !

One of the features of this exhibition is to focus on the relationship between Britain and Europe. This work was created in the 18th century when the children of the wealthy are excited about the “Grand Tour” that visits Italy to conclude their studies.
Shown here is a regatta competition held in the Grand Canal of Venice during the Carnival. You can feel the vibrant city scene, including tourists and onlookers climbing out of the window.

Bartolome Esteban Murillo 《A Farmer Boy Embarking on the Window Frame》

Circa 1675-80 Oil on canvas 52 × 38.5cm © The National Gallery, London. Presented by MM Zachary, 1826

“Discovery” of Spanish paintings that were buried.

Murillo who played an active part in Seville in the late 17th century drew a lot of genre paintings with heroic boys as the main characters. This work is a close-up picture of only a boy.
Murillo's genre painting was highly appreciated in England in the 18th century and permeated common people who were unfamiliar with sublime religious themes. It also affected Gainsborough and Reynolds.

Outline

Exhibition name
"London National Gallery Exhibition"
Session March 3 (Tuesday) to June 14 (Sunday), 2020
9:30 am-5:30 pm
(Until 8pm on Friday and Saturday)
* Admission until 30 minutes before closing
closing day Monday
* Open on 30th March and 4th May
Venue National Museum of Western Art (Ueno Park)
Official site https://artexhibition.jp/london2020/
Patrol information National Museum of Art, Tokyo, July 7 (Tue)-October 18 (Sun)

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