Photo credit: © Lucy Sutton-Long
We are thrilled to share that The Sainsbury Wing of The National Gallery will be reopening on 10 May, marking the final event of the gallery’s 200th birthday celebrations.
About
The new Sainsbury Wing, which has been closed for 2 years for renovations, will contain C C Land: The Wonder of Art, a café, restaurant and two shops.
C C Land: The Wonder of Art will display over 1,000 pieces from the gallery’s collection in a reimagined way. Whilst shown in chronological order, there will be themed rooms for artworks as a different way to explore, and associate, the history of these paintings. The gallery explains that: “…rather than telling a single story of the history of art, we’ll introduce new narratives. So, you’ll find unexpected, themed rooms that tell us about the making of art, particular types of painting like portraits or flower paintings, or an individual artist. And we’ll pair works together across centuries.”
Highlights of the collection include some of the National Gallery’s earliest works – Piero della Francesca’s Baptism of Christ (c. 1437–1445), The San Pier Maggiore Altarpiece (1370-1) and Paolo Uccello’s The Battle of San Romano (c. 1438-1440), new loans of pieces by Andrea Mantegna, Anthony van Dyck, William Hogarth and Vincent Van Gogh, alongside some exciting new acquisitions of works by Nicholas Poussin, Eva Gonzalèz and Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas.
Also on display will be works that have been safely held in storage and now being shown for the first time. This includes the fascinating A Peepshow with Views of the Interior of a Dutch House (c. 1665-1660) by Samuel Van Hoogstraten which is a perspective box containing the illusion of a 17th century Dutch house.
The café, Bar Giorgio, will be the place to go for refreshments, cocktails and snacks.
The restaurant, Locatelli, will offer Italian cuisine and breathtaking views over Trafalgar Square.
The Welcome Shop will contain gifts and souvenirs, whilst Crivelli’s Bookshop will offer a beautiful selection of art books.
Getting there
The National Gallery is a 23-minute walk from Hertford Street along Piccadilly. Alternatively, it can be reached by taking the Piccadilly line from Green Park to Leicester Square.