The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour

Following the enthusiastic public response to the UK tour of Titian’s Diana and Actaeon in 2012, the National Gallery is initiating a new UK touring exhibition programme running for three years, and we are encouraging regional museums to participate.

For the Masterpiece Tour, three major National Gallery paintings will tour the UK, one per year between 2014 and 2016. Each annual touring exhibition will run from January to July at three different regional museums for about six weeks per venue. We are therefore looking for nine museums in total. This exhibition programme supports the Gallery’s aim to promote the understanding, knowledge and appreciation of Old Master painting to as wide an audience as possible.

The three paintings are:

2014

The Execution of Maximilian

Edouard Manet

about 1867-8

2015

A Regatta on the Grand Canal from Two Venetian Ceremonial Scenes

Canaletto

about 1740

2016

Self Portrait at the Age of 63

Rembrandt

1669

Each exhibition will consist of the painting, printed information panels and a presence on the National Gallery website. The main costs of the exhibition will be covered: transportation, casing and couriers and graphic panels; there will be some support for marketing material. The host museum would be responsible for all other costs, which will be outlined in the exhibition agreement, and should comply with our standard conditions of loan.

Call for proposals

The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour, January–July 2014
Manet: The Execution of Maximilian
Deadline: 24 April 2013

If you are interested in showing Manet’s painting, please submit a proposal of up to 1,000 words explaining why you would like to take this exhibition. Your proposal should include:

• Your museum, and relevance of the painting to your collection (if any)
• Initial display ideas – e.g. whether the painting would hang in an exhibition room or within the collection galleries
• Public engagement information: your audiences, your promotional activities, your learning and outreach activities

Please also refer to our standard conditions of loan in Borrowing from the National Gallery: Loan Conditions (UK)

The National Gallery will select the venues based upon these proposals and the need to achieve geographical spread within the tour.

You are also welcome to make expressions of interest in the other paintings (for 2015 and 2016), though we will not be making any commitments at this stage.

Please send your proposal to Mary Hersov, National Programmes Manager mary.hersov@ng-london.org.uk by 24 April 2013. Mary would also be happy to discuss any queries with you.

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