Lucky for us these umbrellas are going up indoors
RENOIR’S PAINTING ON DISPLAY IN CITY’S ART GALLERY NEXT MONTH
PREPARATIONS are under way for an Impressionist masterpiece to hang at Leicester Museum and Art Gallery.
The loan of Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s The Umbrellas was announced last year as part of UK-wide commemorations marking the 200th anniversary of the National Gallery in London.
The National Treasures project will see 12 important artworks being loaned to 12 cities around the UK.
National Treasures: Renoir in Leicester will open at Leicester Museum and Art Gallery on May 10 and run until September 1.
The Umbrellas, painted between 1881 and 1886, will be the centrepiece of a special gallery, alongside a digital installation featuring a newly commissioned animation from award-winning Leicester studio Kino Bino.
The family-friendly animation Lost Amongst the Umbrellas will take viewers on a visual journey through the bustling streets of 1880s Paris and explore the meaning and ideas behind Renoir’s masterpiece.
There will be guided Out of Hours tour before the museum open on alternate Saturday mornings at 10am, from May 11. Tickets cost £15 and must be booked.
City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “It is a huge privilege for Leicester to be loaned such an iconic and important piece of late-19th century art, and we’re excited to be part of the National Gallery’s 200th anniversary celebrations.
“Leicester Museum and Art Gallery is already renowned for its German Expressionist art and Picasso ceramics collections, among others, and the chance to exhibit such a well-known and historically significant painting is a real feather in our cap.
“I am sure the chance to see Renoir’s The Umbrellas will encourage even more people to discover what Leicester’s museums have to offer visitors of all ages.”
Gabriele Finaldi, director of the National Gallery, said: “As the National Gallery approaches its third century of bringing people and paintings together, we are thrilled to be sharing 12 of our greatest masterpieces with museums across the UK.
“Over half of the UK’s population will be within one hour’s travel of a National Gallery painting and we hope that many, many people will visit our museum partners and participate in their exciting programmes.”
■ For details of the Out of Hours tours, see: