Art lovers are being offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see an original Claude Monet masterpiece in Blackpool this spring.
From Saturday, March 28, to June 13, Grundy Art Gallery will host Monet’s The Petit Bras of the Seine at Argenteuil (1872) as part of the National Gallery Masterpiece Tour 2025–2027.
The breathtaking oil painting – which has only left the National Gallery once in the past 20 years – will be on public display in the North West for the very first time, marking a landmark cultural moment for the town.
Leader of Blackpool Council and Cabinet Member for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Cllr Lynn Williams, said: “Welcoming a Monet masterpiece to Blackpool is an incredible achievement and a huge moment for the town.
“This exhibition puts Blackpool firmly on the national cultural map and gives residents and visitors alike the chance to experience a world-famous artwork right on their doorstep, free of charge.”
The National Gallery selected the Grundy from more than 30 venues across the UK to be one of just four host galleries for this stage of the prestigious tour.
Other venues chosen include the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich, South Shields Museum and Art Gallery, and Ferens Art Gallery in Hull.
Painted in 1872, the work captures a tranquil winter’s day on the outskirts of Argenteuil, near Paris.
While the town was beginning to industrialise, Monet focuses on a peaceful riverside scene, using bold brushstrokes and muted light to create shimmering reflections on the water – laying the foundations of what would become Impressionism.
The exhibition continues the Grundy’s ambition to bring world-class art to Blackpool, following previous displays featuring artists such as L.S. Lowry, J.M.W. Turner, Roy Lichtenstein, Louise Bourgeois, Tracey Emin and Grayson Perry.
Grundy Art Gallery Curator Paulette Brien added: “Monet’s painting is intimate, calm and quietly powerful, and seeing it up close reveals the extraordinary sensitivity of his brushwork and use of light. We’re thrilled to be able to share this remarkable work with our community.”
As part of the tour, every Blackpool school will be invited to see the painting, with workshops and a follow-up schools exhibition planned.
Young people from local charity The Magic Club will also create a new sound work inspired by the masterpiece.
Since launching in 2014, the National Gallery’s Masterpiece Tour has reached more than 400,000 people across the UK, with its wider touring programme engaging nearly 1.5 million visitors.
The painting will be on display at Grundy Art Gallery, Queen Street, from March 28.
The gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 4.20pm (last entry), and admission is free.
The first public viewing takes place at 10am on Saturday, March 28.
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