The National Gallery has sent some of its finest masterpieces around the UK to mark its 200th anniversary.
Twelve famous artworks including Constable’s The Hay Wain, Botticelli’s Venus and Mars, and Renoir’s The Umbrellas have travelled across the UK.
Simultaneous exhibitions opened on Friday at 12 institutions, putting more than half of the population within an hour of one of the masterpieces.
Some of the paintings have never been loaned by the gallery before.
The £95m bicentenary plans also include a blockbuster Van Gogh show, the creation of a new digital gallery, a UK road trip of art workshops, and a refurbishment of the National Gallery site at London’s Trafalgar Square.
Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller has been commissioned to create a work celebrating 200 years of public art.
The National Gallery will also host a party to celebrate its birthday weekend, with live music from Jools Holland, DJ performances and interactive art workshops.
