Claude Monet's gorgeous impressionist piece 'La Petit Bras of the Seine at Arguenteuil' (1982) has only been displayed outside The National Gallery, London, once in the past twenty years. It has been revealed that, in early 2026, the South Sheild Museum and Art Gallery will be one of four selected Northern museums to host this Monet classic.
The painting will be displayed in four locations in the North between September 2025 and September 2026, as part of the National Gallery's Masterpiece Tour. The Master Piece tour is set to take place between 2025-27, where each of the four partnering museums/galleries will collaborate, displaying a different iconic National Gallery artwork each year for three years. 'La Petit Bras of the Seine at Arguenteuil' will begin its tour at Sainsbury Centre, Norwich, before moving on to South Sheilds for the 17th January 2026- 25th March 2026. After being displayed in the North East, the Monet painting will be transferred to the final two locations, Gruny Art Gallery in Blackpool and Ferens Art Gallery in Hull. This collaboration aims to bring more 'world-class' artwork to the North. Previous examples of collaborations with the National Gallery include the Turner Exhibition at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle last year.
South Sheilds Museum and Art Gallery already expressed their plans to utilise this opportunity to help young people engage with art and better understand their emotions. The painting will be shown in the art gallery space, alongside original works from this collection and artwork created by the young people affected by EBSA (Emotional Based School Avoidance).
This will be an amazing opportunity to help young people struggling with EBSA, who might find it difficult to engage with school due to anxiety problems or emotional trauma, as it will provide them with a space to explore art and nature. Keith Merrin, Director of North East Museums stated: "We're thrilled to have been selected to show the Monet masterpiece. Hosting this artwork will not only act as an inspiration for important engagement work with young people, but it will offer a brilliant opportunity for people in our region to experience world-class art right here in South Tyneside."