A masterpiece from the National Gallery in London is now on display in Newtown for the next 11 weeks.
Chardin’s ‘The House of Cards’, whose work is shown in world-class galleries and museums across the world, has been chosen for the first year of the National Gallery’s three-year Masterpiece partnership with Oriel Davies Gallery.
Steffan Jones‐Hughes, Director of Oriel Davies, said: “It’s a huge honour for us and huge for Newtown because the chances of you seeing a Chardin in Newtown are so remote. Chardin is in the National Gallery, Uffizi and in the Louvre. It’s like bringing a really big name in terms of art history to mid Wales.”
The partnership with the National Gallery means that Oriel Davies will borrow a different major art piece which will be brought from London to Newtown every year.
As part of the tour, more than 2,000 people have taken part to create the biggest tower of cards in Powys.
Oriel Davies has teamed up with Welsh printmaker and illustrator Alyn Smith to create more than 15,000 cards made from sustainable sources to coincide with this summer’s Masterpiece tour.
Steffan said: “We’re asking people to take a pack and fill in the back of the pack, so it can tell us a little bit what people see as the future of Newtown and Powys.
“I have no idea how tall it’s going to be, but I know it’s going to be huge.
“It’s amazing to see how quickly it builds into a huge structure so it’s exciting not knowing what’s really going to happen.”
Oriel Davies Gallery is one of the most highly-regarded contemporary art galleries in the country. In 2003, it was renamed in recognition of Wales’ greatest art collectors and benefactors, Gwendoline and Margaret Davies, of Gregynog, near Tregynon.
Steffan added: “The connection with the Davies sisters is an interesting one, we would really love to bring some of that collection back to mid Wales as well. It’s currently at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff and we’d love to work with them in the future in order to bring them some more of that collection back to the Davies Gallery.”
National Gallery Director Dr Gabriele Finaldi, Chair of The Arts Council of Wales Phil George, National Gallery Head of Exhibitions Jane Knowles, Powys County Councillor Myfanwy Alexander and artist Alyn Smith paid a visit to Oriel Davies before the exhibition opened on Saturday, July 10.
Dr Finaldi said: “Caught somewhere between curiosity, determination and fragility, the boy in Chardin’s painting is engrossed in his house-of-cards construction.”
“The host museums have conceived some highly original and intensely participatory approaches to how this picture will be displayed in the context of their spaces and collections and I much look forward to working closely with them to reach new audiences outside London.”
The exhibition is on show until September 26.
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