Grundy Art Gallery

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. 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.

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 Blackpool. 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.”

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. 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, 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. In this painting, we see him laying the foundations for Impressionism.

Hosting 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. As part of the Masterpiece Tour, Grundy Art Gallery will also invite every Blackpool school to view the Monet. Young people from local charity The Magic Club, working with artist Kelly Jayne Jones, will create a new sound work inspired by the masterpiece.

Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to view this masterpiece.

Where: Grundy Art Gallery, Queen Street, Blackpool

When: Saturday 28th March to Saturday 13th June 

Opening Times: Tuesdays - Saturdays 10am to 4:20pm (last entry). Closed Sundays, Mondays and Bank Holidays

Admission: FREE

Further information: www.thegrundy.org

Venue details