Experience an original Monet masterpiece at Grundy Art Gallery this March

Blackpool’s Grundy Art Gallery will make art history this March as it welcomes a must-see masterpiece from the world renowned artist Claude Monet to the North West for the very first time this Spring.

It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity!

From Saturday 28th March to Saturday 13th June, visitors will have the rare opportunity to fully experience Monet’s breathtaking The Petit Bras of the Seine at Argenteuil (1872) in person as part of the National Gallery Masterpiece Tour 2025–2027.

This stunning oil on canvas from the famous French Impressionist has only left The National Gallery once in the last 20 years, with the first public viewing in the North West of England taking place at Grundy Art Gallery in Blackpool on Saturday 28 March in a landmark cultural moment for the town.

The National Gallery, London selected the Grundy from over 30 UK venues to be one of just four host museums and galleries to take part in the showcase tour for this carefully chosen work from its collection. This piece will be followed by further artworks of art historical significance during the three year project as part of The National Gallery’s ongoing commitment to sharing its collection across the UK. The three other locations chosen to display the Monet were Sainsbury Centre in Norwich; South Shields Museum and Art Gallery, and Ferens Art Gallery, Hull.

Monet’s The Petit Bras of the Seine at Argenteuil (1872) depicts a tranquil scene of a winter day on the outskirts of the small suburban town of Argenteuil, not far from Paris, and focuses on the timeless quality of the natural world. Although the town was already partly industrialised and a popular location for sailing and leisure boating, Monet only hints at this developing bustle with a few scattered buildings behind a screen of trees. Instead, he focuses on an intimate moment by the water and this calming riverscape marks a new phase of Monet’s life and work.

Paying close attention to the misty atmosphere of the winter day, he renders the subtle effects of muted light. His bold brushstrokes capture the river’s reflections. In this painting, we see him laying the foundations for Impressionism.

'The richness I achieve comes from nature, the source of my inspiration' - Claude Monet

Hosting this Monet continues Grundy Art Gallery’s ambitious mission to bring world-class art to Blackpool, following displays by celebrated artists including LS Lowry, JMW Turner, Roy Lichtenstein, Louise Bourgeois, Tracey Emin and Grayson Perry.

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. We are incredibly proud that Grundy Art Gallery has been chosen for this prestigious tour.”

Grundy Art Gallery Curator, Paulette Brien, added: “This is a really exciting opportunity for our audiences. 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 and to build creative programmes around it for people of all ages.”

Since its inception in 2014, The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour has reached more than 400,000 people across the UK, with the Gallery’s national touring programme engaging nearly 1.5 million visitors to date.

National Gallery Director Dr Gabriele Finaldi said: “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.”

As part of the Masterpiece Tour, Grundy Art Gallery will invite every Blackpool school to view the Monet and host a schools’ exhibition following interactive workshops responding to the themes of Monet’s work. The painting will also inspire young people from Blackpool's Young People's charity, The Magic Club, who, working with artist, Kelly Jayne Jones, will produce a new sound work in response to their experience of Monet's work.

Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to view a masterpiece up close at Grundy Art Gallery this Spring…

Claude Monet’s The Petit Bras of the Seine at Argenteuil (1872) will be on public display from Saturday 28th March to Saturday 13th June at Grundy Art Gallery, Queen Street, Blackpool as part of The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour 2025-2027.

Grundy is open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10am to 4:20pm (last entry). Closed Sundays, Mondays and Bank Holidays. Admission is FREE.

• Please note – the first public viewing of the Monet is on Saturday 28th March from 10am

For further information please visit www.thegrundy.org or call 01253 478170.