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When it opens to the public on May 10 2025, the ÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â’s redisplay of its collection will feature rooms dedicated to individual artists including Titian (active about 1506‒1576), Rembrandt (1606‒1669) and Monet (1840‒1926), the genre of still life as practised by artists over time, materials such as pastel and gold, and - for the first time in the Gallery’s history - a work suspended from the ceiling. C C Land: The Wonder of Art will see over 20 new loans and eight new Bicentenary acquisitions joining the national collection.

As the visitor travels through the Gallery, they will see over 1,000 works of art, tracing the development of painting in the Western European tradition from the 13th to the 20th centuries from beloved favourites to paintings never previously seen in the ÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â. Today, the Gallery has shared details of some of the most exciting and visually spectacular displays that visitors will be able to see . 

Works from the Medieval and Renaissance periods will return to the Sainsbury Wing following an over two-year closure for building works. Displays will include an opening room containing works from the 14th to the 16th centuries, including The Wilton Diptych (English or French, about 1395‒9) and Leonardo Da Vinci’s (1452‒1519) The Virgin of the Rocks (about 1491/2‒9 and 1506‒8), which together ask visitors to consider the full spectrum of what painting can do. The galleries in the Sainsbury Wing were designed to evoke a Renaissance basilica and its architectural features make it possible to display paintings in a similar way to how they would have originally been encountered. A chapel-like space is entirely dedicated to Piero della Francesca (about 1415/20–1492).

In a first for the ÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â, Segna di Bonaventura’s (active 1298; died 1326/31) Crucifix (about 1310‒15) will be visible down the central spine of the Sainsbury Wing, suspended from the ceiling. This will enable today’s audiences to view the work in the way it would have been seen in the 14th century.

'C C Land: The Wonder of Art' will present several works back on display after long-term conservation projects. The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian (completed 1475) by Antonio del Pollaiuolo (about 1432‒1498) and Piero del Pollaiuolo (about 1441‒before 1496) will be back on show after nearly three years of conservation and scientific examination. At the other chronological end of the Gallery’s collection, Bathers (about 1894‒1905) by Cezanne (1839–1906) will be displayed in a new frame following its recent conservation treatment, which revealed the surprising discovery of French newspaper cuttings along the side of the canvas added during a previous relining treatment. A new frame has been created for the San Pier Maggiore Altarpiece (1370‒1) by Jacopo di Cione (documented 1365; died 1398‒1400) and workshop, with gold leaf burnished by volunteers from across the ÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â’s staff.

Throughout the rehang of the Gallery we are inviting visitors to be curious, to encounter paintings and artworks they may never have seen before, and hopefully, to see paintings in new ways. Room 42 will host a celebration of works in the medium of pastel, which the Gallery has never before displayed together - from 18th-century portraits, to Edgar Degas’s (1834‒1917) newly acquired Ballet Dancers (1888). It will also include the Lavergne Family Breakfast (1754) by Jean-Etienne Liotard (1702‒1789), the subject of a critically acclaimed exhibition in 2023. 

Works acquired during the Bicentenary year, including The Full-length Mirror, about 1869‒70, by Eva Gonzalès (1849‒1883), After the Audience (1879) by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836–1912), and Eucharist (about 1637‒40), one of the greatest paintings of the Last Supper, by Nicolas Poussin (1594–1664) will all be on display. And from June 2025, Corner of a Café-Concert (1878‒80) and 'Au café' (1878) by Edouard Manet (1832‒1883), originally composed on one canvas that the artist cut in half, will be reunited, thanks to the latter coming to the Gallery on loan from the Swiss Confederation, Federal Office of Culture, Oskar Reinhart Collection 'Am Römerholz', Winterthur.

In addition, visitors will encounter many works they have come to know and love. Two paintings from the Turner Bequest, Dido Building Carthage (1815) and Sun Rising through Vapour (before 1807), will remain on view alongside the works of Claude (1604/5?–1682), as specified in Joseph Mallord William Turner’s ( (1775‒1851) will. His desire to be shown alongside a much admired artist of the past has guided the whole philosophy of the redisplay. The display in Central Hall will continue to celebrate the tradition of ambitious large-scale portraiture from 1550‒1900, from Veronese to Lawrence.

'C C Land: The Wonder of Ar't will also feature a brand new audio guide, powered by Smartify. As well as the Gallery’s curators and staff, visitors can learn about our paintings with esteemed guests including HRH Princess Eugenie, Stephen Fry and Axel Scheffler, as well as experts in fashion, horticulture and history. Visitors will be able to make their own personalised tours or choose from specially curated routes.

Christine Riding, Director of Collections and Research, said: 'This has been a once in lifetime opportunity to redisplay one of the greatest art collections anywhere in the world. We have thought very carefully about the journey, from gallery to gallery, as our visitors explore the often surprising connections between artists, across time and place. We hope it will bring joy to visitors both new and old.'

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Notes to editors

From 10 May 2024, the 200th anniversary of the Gallery’s foundation, a year-long festival of art, creativity and imagination started across the UK, and around the world, and at our home in London. This has led us into our third century of bringing people and paintings together. For more information go to: nationalgallery.org.uk/about-us/ng200-programme  

ÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â is one of the greatest art galleries in the world. Founded by Parliament in 1824, the Gallery houses the nation’s collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the late 13th to the early 20th century. The collection includes works by Artemisia Gentileschi, Bellini, Cezanne, Degas, Leonardo, Monet, Raphael, Rembrandt, Renoir, Rubens, Titian, Turner, Van Dyck, Van Gogh and Velázquez. The Gallery’s key objectives are to care for and enhance the collection and provide the best possible access to visitors. Admission free.

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About C C Land

Headquartered in Hong Kong, the core business of C C Land is property development and investment as well as treasury investments. The Group started to build its global property portfolio since early 2017, and now has both investment and development projects in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Chinese mainland. The Group’s business strategy is to have a balanced property portfolio with both stable recurring rental income and property sales revenue in developed cities worldwide.

For more information

Imogen Sebba, Press Manager NG200, imogen.sebba@nationalgallery.org.uk 
ÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â Press Office on 020 7747 2865 or email ÁùºÏ²ÊÔ¤²â Press Office press.external@nationalgallery.org.uk  

A full list of the names of rooms forming 'C C Land: The Wonder of Art' is available.