As part of the programme of events to celebrate our Bicentenary, 12 of the nation’s most iconic and well-loved paintings from the collection were lent to 12 venues across the UK.
Paintings including, Constable’s The Hay Wain, Turner’s Fighting Temeraire and Monet’s The Water-Lily Pond travelled to regional centres such as Bristol, Newcastle and York. For some of the works, not least the The Wilton Diptych and Botticelli’s Venus and Mars, it was the first time they left the Gallery since they were acquired.
Each of the partner venues marked the National Treasure's stay with events, exhibitions and digital interventions to showcase their works.
The displays opened simultaneously on 10 May 2024, the 200th anniversary of the Gallery’s opening in London, enabling people from all over the country to see, up close, some of the greatest works in the history of Western art.
Plan a visit to your nearest National Treasure, or be inspired to venture further afield and see a treasured painting in a completely new setting, by rail.
