The centrepiece of the exciting new exhibition at York Art Gallery is Monet’s ‘The Water-Lily Pond’, and it’s in York to mark the 200th anniversary of the National Gallery.
Also in the exhibition are works from York Art Gallery’s collection, key loans from national and regional museums and a new commission from the contemporary artist Michaela Yearwood-Dan. You can also visit the gardens behind the Art Gallery where a wildflower meadow has been planted with frames around the garden to encourage everyone to get creative and enjoy some open-air sketching.
National Treasures is a key part of the National Gallery’s programme celebrating the Gallery’s Bicentenary. Each partner venue will receive a masterpiece from the Gallery’s collection. For the duration of the displays, 35 million people – more than half the UK population – will be within an hour’s journey of a National Gallery masterpiece.
The exhibition provides lots of background and information about Monet, his influences and other artists at the time. In 1893 Monet bought a plot of land next to his house in Giverny. He had already planted a colourful flower garden, but he wanted to create a water garden “both for the pleasure of the eye and for the purpose of having subjects to paint”.
He enlarged an existing pond, filling it with exotic new hybrid water lilies, and built a bridge at one end. The water garden became the main obsession of Monet’s later career. The National Gallery’s 1899 ‘The Water-Lily Pond’ painting was amongst his earlier canvases on this theme.
The below activities and workshops are for adults but the Art Gallery often runs family-friendly events over the school holidays – you can find out more information here.
Saturday 29 June – Yoga at York Art Gallery
Saturday 13 July – Open Air Landscape Drawing
Saturday 10 August – Open Air Landscape Drawing
Saturday 31 August – Sound Bath at York Art Gallery
Monet In Conversation Programme on selected Thursdays at 2pm – Find out more here.
“We all really enjoy the Monet Exhibtion at York Art Gallery. The exhibtion is beatuifully laid out with lots of information about Monet and his live and influences. We loved going round each room and at the end all deciding which was our favourite piece!
“You can see the Water-Lily Pond up close, but it is much better from a distance. It really is special seeing such a well-known piece of art right here in York. There is a digital table in the room too so you can zoom in on various sections and compare all the little details.
We also really enjoyed the room with the new commision by Michaela Yearwood-Danm which was so bright and colourful.
Finally one of the highlights of our visit was the wild flower meadow in the gardens behind the Art Gallery. This is literally buzzing with wildlife and we enjoyed taking photos using the frames that are dotted around the Musuem Gardens!
The exhibtion is on until 8 September and if you love art or just want to see a famous painting, we’d highly recommend a visit!”
🎟 Monet in York ‘The Water-Lily Pond’ is at York Art Gallery until 8 September and entry is included in general admission.
To book tickets in advance please visit www.yorkartgallery.org.uk/tickets. There is no separate charge from normal museum entry prices.
📍Exhibition Square, York, YO1 7EW
