LONDON, 09 August. - (ANA) - Visitors can experience the art scenes of Barcelona, Berlin and Paris at the beginning of the 20th century through three new loans coming to the National Gallery from the start of August.

 

In Room 45, our collection of works by Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas and George Bellows will be enriched by two exceptional loans: a stunning painting by the American artist Marsden Hartley (1877–1943), and the only Blue Period work by Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) currently on display in a London museum. In Room 46 our collection of Claude Monet’s (1840–1927) paintings will be expanded with Waterlilies (1905).

 

In 1913 American-born Hartley moved to Berlin, known for its experimental art scene. During his years in the city he painted his Amerika series, of which Painting No. 50 (1914–15) is a part.  While there, Hartley worked and exhibited alongside Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) group, and Painting No. 50 shows the influence of their avant-garde ideas. The work is coming to the National Gallery as part of the Terra Collection-in-Residence programme, and will hang in the same room as Men of the Docks (1912), the first major American painting to enter the Gallery’s collection when it was acquired in 2014. Visitors wanting to learn more about The Blue Rider group will be able to see more of their works in German Expressionism: Modern Painting 1900–1918, which will be presented at the National Gallery in March 2027.

 

Hartley’s avant-garde masterpiece will be joined by two new loans from the Kenneth C. Griffin Collection. Picasso’s Portrait of Germaine, a stunning example of the artist’s Blue Period, was painted in 1902 when Picasso was living in Barcelona. It depicts Germaine Pichot (born Laure Gargallo, 1881–1948), a French laundress and artist’s model. Waterlilies (1905) completes a group of four of Monet’s Water-Lily works, created between 1899 and the artist’s final years. The picture will hang in Room 46, the final room of the National Gallery’s collection, entirely devoted to late Monet. 

 

Whether visiting after work, beginning an evening out before the theatre, or winding down after a day exploring the city, visitors will be able to view these works for even longer thanks to National Gallery Summertime. Until 31 August, the Gallery will remain open until 7pm daily, with late opening on Fridays until 9pm, giving visitors more time to enjoy one of the world's greatest collections of paintings under one roof.  - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/11 August 2026 - - -