First exhibition of National Gallery Bicentenary year closes with record number of visitors

This spring, the National Gallery displayed the last painting by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610), not seen in the UK for nearly 20 years.

The Last Caravaggio (18 April – 21 July 2024), presented 'The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula' (1610), generously lent by the Intesa Sanpaolo Collection (Gallerie d’Italia – Naples) displayed alongside another late work by the Italian artist from the National Gallery Collection, Salome receives the Head of John the Baptist (about 1609–10). 

The free exhibition, the first of NG200 – the National Gallery Bicentenary year – received a total of 286,298 visitors over 95 days. That is an average of 3,014 visits per day. 

This makes it the 10th most visited exhibition in National Gallery history both in terms of total attendance, and average daily attendance*.

The exhibition, which presented an opportunity to explore Caravaggio’s late paintings, and the representation of violence in his work, similarly engaged online audiences. The total reach for the exhibition content on social media was 1.8 million and the total views for our Artists on Artists film was 746K.

A selection of visitor comments received across social media:

• It is an incredible piece of work. Ursula’s expression is so difficult to decipher in the pallor of her dying body. I loved seeing this in the flesh. Thank you @NationalGallery for making it accessible to all for free.
• A subtle, tiny #exhibition of the last #Caravaggio at the @NationalGallery in #London deals with issues concerning genius, violence, misunderstanding and fame. Absolutely worth visiting.
• The reason I went to @NationalGallery was to see The Last Caravaggio. It’s displayed dramatically in a darkened room alongside the letter which has been discovered proving its attribution. Pulse-quickening. Worth the queue. 

The exhibition was also deemed a success by art critics;

‘Rage, slaughter, death, regret … The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula, believed to be Caravaggio’s last work, is so astonishing, it deserves to be a one-painting blockbuster’ Jonathan Jones, 'The Guardian' (17 April 2024)

‘The Last Caravaggio – St Ursula is his final work – is a modest but notable beginning for the National Gallery’s bicentenary celebration.

These pictures are the final self-revelation of a troubled, violent genius. And fittingly for a gallery which offers its treasures to us all without charge, this little show is free.’ Melanie McDonagh, 'The Evening Standard' (16 April 2024)

The National Gallery, is now looking forward to bringing more people and paintings together throughout the NG200 celebrations and we hope that they will come and enjoy our forthcoming Bicentenary exhibitions: 

Hockney and Piero: A Longer Look
8 August – 27 October 2024, Room 46, Admission free

Discover Constable and The Hay Wain
17 October 2024 – 2 February 2025, Sunley Room, Admission free

Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers
14 September 2024 – 19 January 2025, Rooms 1 – 8, Admission charge

Parmigianino: The Vision of Saint Jerome
5 December 2024 – 9 March 2025, Room 46, Admission free

Siena: The Rise of Painting 1300 – 1350
8 March – 22 June 2025, Ground Floor Galleries, Admission charge

National Gallery Director, Dr Gabriele Finaldi, says 'Among the great masters of the past Caravaggio exercises a mesmerising attraction on contemporary audiences. A rare opportunity to see the work, Caravaggio's own powerful storytelling and the engaging narrative around 'The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula' as the artist's last painting made just weeks before his early death, help explain the success of the National Gallery's exhibition.'

The H J Hyams Exhibition Programme
Supported by The Capricorn Foundation

More information at nationalgallery.org.uk 

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Notes to editors

*National Gallery Top 10 most visited exhibitions.

The National Gallery 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. 

On 10 May 2024, the National Gallery celebrated its 200th anniversary and began its Bicentenary celebrations, a year-long festival of art and creativity and imagination marking two centuries of bringing people and paintings together.

Images

X5173
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
'The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula', 1610
Oil on canvas 
143 x 180 cm
Intesa Sanpaolo Collection 
Gallerie d’Italia - Napoli
© Archivio Patrimonio Artistico Intesa Sanpaolo / foto Luciano Pedicini, Napoli

For more information and images

National Gallery Press Office  press.external@nationalgallery.org.uk

Publicity images can be obtained from https://press.nationalgallery.org.uk/