The National Gallery, London, one of the world's foremost art institutions, will present its first-ever collection exhibition outside the UK, "The National Gallery, London," at The National Museum of Western Art in Ueno, Tokyo, from Thursday, June 18 to Sunday, October 18, 2020. The exhibition dates have been changed from the original schedule due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the four days from June 18 (Thu) to June 21 (Sun), only those who already possess advance tickets or invitation tickets will be admitted. A time-slot reservation system will be introduced for those purchasing tickets from now on.

Unlike large European museums whose collections originated from royal holdings, The National Gallery, London, has cultivated an exceptionally high-quality collection through a history of acquisitions driven by its objective to "create a collection in Britain that covers the history of Western painting," including contributions from artists and industrialists.

The museum houses approximately 2,300 works spanning various European schools from the late 13th to the early 20th century, including Botticelli, Titian, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Velázquez, Renoir, Monet, Turner, and Van Gogh, attracting over 6 million visitors annually. Many of its collection are on permanent display, and the museum is extremely cautious about lending its works, meaning collection exhibitions outside the UK have never been held before.

"The National Gallery, London," the first collection exhibition to be held outside the UK, will showcase all 61 masterpieces from the museum's collection, ranging from the Italian Renaissance to Post-Impressionism in the 19th century. The exhibition traces the history of Western painting across seven chapters, viewed through the lens of "exchange between Britain and continental Europe."

Among the highlights is Van Gogh's "Sunflowers." Van Gogh created seven paintings of sunflowers in vases, and the one coming to Japan is the work he painted in Arles, in the south of France, to decorate the bedroom of his close friend, the painter Gauguin. It is one of only two pieces that he himself deemed suitable for the bedroom and signed. By changing the background from blue to yellow, this work radiates with even greater vitality, as if Van Gogh's energy emanates from the thickly applied paint.

Regarding the exhibition, Gabriele Finaldi, Director of The National Gallery, London, conveyed his message: "It is an unexpected joy to have the opportunity to introduce the works and history of The National Gallery, London, to the people of Japan in 2020, a year when Japan is attracting international attention. As Director, I sincerely look forward to this event."

The National Gallery, London Exhibition

Dates | Thursday, June 18 – Sunday, October 18, 2020
*For the four days from June 18 (Thu) to June 21 (Sun), only those who already possess advance tickets or invitation tickets will be admitted.
*Advance time-slot reservations are required for ticket purchases from now on.
Closed | Mondays (except for July 13, July 27, August 10, and September 21), September 23
Venue | The National Museum of Western Art
Address | 7-7 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Organizers | The National Museum of Western Art (Tokyo Exhibition), The National Museum of Art, Osaka (Osaka Exhibition), The National Gallery, London, The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nippon Television Network (Tokyo Exhibition), Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation (Osaka Exhibition)
Special Sponsorship | Canon, Daiwa Securities Group
Sponsorship | Kao Corporation, Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance Inc., Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd., Toyota Motor Corporation, Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
Cooperation | Otsuka Museum of Art, Japan Airlines, British Council, The Western Art Foundation (Tokyo Exhibition), Daikin Industries, Ltd. (Osaka Exhibition)