Art exhibitions to see at the National Gallery in 2025
The National Gallery is set to present a vibrant programme of exhibitions in 2025, showcasing its rich artistic heritage while highlighting contemporary themes and narratives. Building on the success of its 200th anniversary in 2024, several significant exhibitions will continue into the new year. Among them, Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers will be on view until 19 January 2025, offering a profound exploration of the artist’s emotional connections to poetry and his environment. As the year progresses, visitors can look forward to a series of new exhibitions designed to deepen their appreciation of timeless artistic legacies.
© National Gallery, London.
Other exhibitions continuing into 2025 include Parmigianino: The Vision of Saint Jerome, which will be on display from 5 December 2024 to 9 March 2025. This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to see Parmigianino’s Madonna and Child with Saints (1526–7), alongside key preparatory drawings that shed light on his creative process. Meanwhile, Discover Constable and The Hay Wain will remain open until 2 February 2025, providing valuable insights into John Constable’s work and the social and political context of early 19th-century English landscape painting. Together, these exhibitions offer visitors a chance to engage with the rich narratives and artistry that define the National Gallery’s collection.
Parmigianino, The Madonna and Child with Saints 1526-7. Oil on poplar, 342.9 × 148.6 cm. © The National Gallery, London. Presented by the Directors of the British Institution, 1826.
In addition to these exhibitions, the National Gallery will present Siena: The Rise of Painting 1300–1350 from 8 March to 22 June 2025, reuniting significant works by influential 14th-century Italian artists and celebrating the rich artistic heritage of Siena. Following this, José María Velasco: A View of Mexico will take place from 29 March to 17 August 2025, marking the first UK exhibition dedicated to the celebrated Mexican painter, showcasing his breathtaking landscapes of the Valle de México.
The Carracci Cartoons: Myths in the Making will be on display from 10 April to 6 July 2025, providing a unique opportunity to view the preparatory works that led to the magnificent ceiling of the Palazzo Farnese. Additionally, the newly transformed Centre for Creative Learning will open on 3 March 2025.
Siena: The Rise of Painting 1300–1350. Duccio Maestà - Panels, 1308-11. Christ and the Woman of Samaria, Tempera and gold on panel. 43.5 x 46 cm. Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid (133 (1971.7). © Copyright Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid
Later in the year, Millet: Life on the Land will run from 7 August to 19 October 2025, marking the first UK exhibition dedicated to Jean-François Millet in nearly 50 years, while Radical Harmony: Helene Kröller-Müller’s Neo-Impressionists will take place from 13 September 2025 to 8 February 2026, showcasing works from one of the first great women art patrons of the 20th century.
As the National Gallery moves through 2025, it not only honours its rich history but also continues to engage and inspire visitors with these exhibitions, offering a deeper understanding of the stories behind some of the most celebrated works of art.