A major national touring artwork exhibition has now launched on the Isle of Wight, as reproductions of world-class paintings are now brightening the streets of Newport.
The National Gallery’s Art On Your Doorstep has brought 18 life-size replicas of famous artworks to the Island’s county town, and they will be in place from 6th May to 30th October 2026.
A step-free trail through Newport’s heritage
All of the replicas have been plotted on a step-free one-mile trail, designed purposely to ensure the route is accessible for all.
Visitors will be taken across Newport’s key heritage areas, through the town centre, along four of its traditional alleyways, across its historic squares and right down to the harbourside.
Over the course of three years, the National Gallery will be reaching all four nations of the UK, working with a total of 12 partners. The Isle of Wight is one of only seven locations hosting the trail in 2026.
Chosen by the community
The paintings that make up Newport’s Art On Your Doorstep trail have been selected by community groups and a local school based on place, with many of the reproductions reflecting the beauty and motifs of their physical location.
Each artwork will be reproduced life-size, in fine detail and in its frame, allowing visitors the chance to look closely and discover hidden details.
Secured through the Shaping Newport partnership
The Isle of Wight Council has secured the trail through the Shaping Newport partnership.
This sees the council, Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council and the Newport Business Association work collaboratively to improve the experience for residents and visitors in Newport.
Shaping Newport aims to change the town for the better by acting on feedback from over 3000 residents about the Island’s historic county town.
Outdoors and free to view, these paintings will entwine art with the everyday.
Alex Minns, Isle of Wight Council’s service director for community regeneration and economy, said,
“It is incredible to see reproductions of world-class art arrive on the streets of Newport, transforming familiar places into an open‑air gallery that everyone can enjoy.
“We’re proud that the Isle of Wight is one of just a handful of locations across the UK chosen to host this national exhibition.”
Fiona Capewell, clerk at Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council, said,
“This trail is a fantastic celebration of creativity, heritage and community collaboration.
“Secured through the Shaping Newport partnership, Art On Your Doorstep shows how working together can enrich the town, encourage people to explore Newport in new ways and create memorable experiences right through to the harbourside.”
The full list of artworks and locations
The artworks that are now on display in Newport and their locations are:
- 64 High Street – The Water-Lily Pond by Claude Monet
- Castlehold Lane – Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh
- Post Office Lane – Flowers in a Vase by Rachel Ruysch
- Independent Arts – Portrait of Giovanni(?) Arnolfini and his Wife by Jan van Eyck
- Richmonds Bakery – The Umbrellas by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
- Bowling Green Lane – The Courtyard of a House in Delft by Pieter de Hooch
- Lord Louis Library – Bus Station – Surprised! by Henri Rousseau
- Lord Louis Library – Church Litten – Still Life: An Allegory of the Vanities of Human Life by Harmen Steenwyck
- Cockram’s Yard – Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan by Hans Holbein the Younger
- The Wheatsheaf – Corner of a Café-Concert by Édouard Manet
- Newport Minster – The Presentation of the Virgin and Child by His Patron Saint John the Baptist and Saints Edward and Edmund (“The Wilton Diptych”) – English or French (?)
- St Thomas Square – Portrait of Hermine Gallia by Gustav Klimt
- Cherry Godfrey – Exhibition of a Rhinoceros at Venice by Pietro Longhi
- One Holyrood Hotel (Side Wall on Sea Street) – A Muse (Calliope?) by Cosimo Tura
- Quay Arts (Side Wall on Little London) – Men of the Docks by George Bellows
- Riverside Centre – The Skiff (La Yole) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
- Harbour Office, Town Quay – Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway by Joseph Mallord William Turner
- Harbour Office, Town Quay – The Fighting Temeraire Tugged to Her Last Berth to Be Broken Up by Joseph Mallord William Turner
News shared by Isle of Wight council press office, in their own words. Ed
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