Our newly rehung collection, ‘C C Land: The Wonder of Art’, tells the story of painting in the Western European tradition, from the middle of the 13th century to the present day. One of our earliest pictures in the collection, Segna di Bonaventura’s ‘Crucifix’, is now displayed up high in the Sainsbury Wing, nearby to our most recent commission, Richard Long’s ‘Mud Sun’. 

Whilst stylistically very different, these two monumental works painted over seven centuries apart, pose similar questions about art. Why are they displayed at height? What materials and techniques were used? Are they objects, sculptures or paintings? And what emotional responses do they elicit? 

Members of our Articulation alumni compare and contrast the artistic and technical approaches to these two works, which span our collection, exploring how modern displays might change the way we think about historical pictures.