Monet painting to go on show in South Shields as part of National Gallery tour
A partnership between South Shields Museum & Art Gallery and The National Gallery will see the arrival of a Monet’s masterpiece in the region.
The painting, The Petit Bras of the Siene at Argenteuil (1872) has only left the National Gallery once in the past 20 years.
It will go on display at the South Tyneside venue in early 2026 as part of the National Gallery’s Masterpiece Tour.
South Shields Museum & Art Gallery is one of just four partners selected to host the tour, which is described as ‘a three-year transformative opportunity to bring world-class art to the North East’.
It is planned that the world famous painting, which depicts a tranquil scene of a winter day on the outskirts of the small suburban town of Argenteuil, not far from Paris, will serve as the centrepiece for a programme of engagement with young people in South Tyneside affected by Emotion Based School Avoidance (EBSA).
Displayed in its art gallery space, the work will be complemented by pieces from the venue’s own collection as well as artworks created by young people, teachers and local organisations around a theme of the power of art and nature.
The partnership with the National Gallery and North East Museums, follows two previous successful partnerships: Constable Visits Jarrow in 2023 and National Treasures: Turner in Newcastle at the Laing Art Gallery in 2024.
Keith Merrin, Director of North East Museums, said: “We’re thrilled to have been selected to show the Monet masterpiece. Hosting this artwork will not only act as inspiration for important engagement work with young people but it will offer a brilliant opportunity for people in our region to experience world-class art right here in South Tyneside.
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“We are very proud of our ongoing partnership with the National Gallery and grateful for their support.”
Dr Gabriele Finaldi, director of The National Gallery, added: “The National Gallery’s collection belongs to all of us. It is part of our duty and our honour to look after these paintings and to bring them to where people are, not just expect them to come to us.
“Partnering on touring exhibitions does so much more than bring beloved paintings from the collection to other places in the UK - it supports the whole country's cultural ecosystem, connects people with paintings that belong to us all, and allows us to learn and expand our own practices and interpretations through the creativity of our partner organisations and their communities.
“That over one million people have visited these exhibitions in the last decade proves the desire to engage with our collection is growing, and we look forward to welcoming the next million visitors across the UK.”