Gillian Phillips, an artist and writer living in Sheffield has become the first person ever to sleep over night at the National Gallery - in a bed within sight of the world’s greatest paintings - ahead of its complete public re-opening to mark its 200th anniversary.
Randomly selected from the Gallery’s biggest-ever prize draw, Gillian Phillips has become the first member of the public to enter the Sainsbury Wing on the night of Friday 9 May, following its two-year closure, and has experienced the biggest rehang of the Gallery’s entire collection - C C Land: The Wonder of Art.
Gillian is a mother and grandmother of 10 children (aged from 2 to 20 years), a speaker, mentor and charity trustee. She describes herself as a Londoner who now enjoys living near the Peak District in Sheffield. She says: ‘I feel it is a great privilege to receive the opportunity to Wake up to the Wonder of Art. I have loved the National Gallery since I was a child. And though I no longer live in London I still consider the Gallery to be my art home and have its pictures sitting in my mind all the time.’
While she lived in London Gillian worked as a freelance lecturer some twenty years ago taking children around the National Gallery. She also took part in drawing classes inspired by the Gallery’s pictures.
22,353 people entered the draw for a chance to sleep in a bed - in a first for a British art gallery - on the ‘bridge’ that connects the newly refurbished Sainsbury Wing with the rest of the Gallery. The free draw was open to anyone over 18, who subscribes to the Gallery’s newsletter.
Before her night’s sleep in a bed adorned by the Marks & Spencer X National Gallery collection, Gillian enjoyed dinner with a guest at Locatelli, the National Gallery’s new restaurant, by Michelin-star chef Georgio Locatelli, in partnership with Searcy’s.
She then received her own private, personal tour of 'C C Land: The Wonder of Art' with the National Gallery’s Director of Collections and Research, Christine Riding, before her overnight stay. As Gillian woke up on the morning of Saturday 10 May, she became the first person to enjoy breakfast in Locatelli’s new restaurant and had the Gallery to herself to explore ahead of the first public opening of the Sainsbury Wing at 10am.
As she made her way through the Gallery, Gillian had the opportunity to view over a thousand works of art, which trace the development of painting in the Western European tradition from the 13th to 20th centuries, from iconic masterpieces to paintings which have never previously been seen in the National Gallery.
All visitors can now see the completed redisplay (10am on Saturday 10 May 2025), to coincide with the opening to the public of the transformed Sainsbury Wing after more than two years of building works, reshaping the National Gallery for its third century and the next generation of visitors.
Gillian Phillips at the National Gallery, Friday 9 May 2025 Photo © The National Gallery, London
NG200 Wake up to the 'C C Land: The Wonder of Art'. Bed, adorned by the Marks & Spencer X National Gallery collection, at the National Gallery’s Sainsbury Wing link
Publicity images can be obtained from https://press.nationalgallery.org.uk/
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 was 200 years old, and we started our Bicentenary celebration, a year-long festival of art, creativity and imagination, marking two centuries of bringing people and paintings together.
More information at nationalgallery.org.uk
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Imogen Sebba, Press Manager NG200, imogen.sebba@nationalgallery.org.uk
National Gallery Press Office on 020 7747 2865 or email press.external@nationalgallery.org.uk