The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour. Monet: In the Presence of Nature
A rare chance to see a Claude Monet masterpiece painting in South Shields.
Dates
Until Wednesday 25 March
Visitor information
Times
During normal museum opening hours:
- Monday – Friday, 10am – 5pm
- Saturday, 11am – 4pm
- Closed Sunday.
The exhibition runs from Saturday 17 January – Wednesday 25 March 2026.
Due to pre-booked school group visits the Monet room might be closed from 10–10.20am and 12.20–1.20pm. The rest of the exhibition will remain open. Thank you for your understanding.
Price
Free, donations welcome.
Location
Art Gallery and Special Exhibition spaces, 1st floor. A lift is available.
Address: South Shields Museum & Art Gallery, 10 Ocean Road, South Shields, NE33 2JA.
For more information and to plan a great day out at South Shields Museum & Art Gallery, see our visitor information page.
Booking information
Drop in, no need to book. Suitable for all ages.
About
South Shields Museum & Art Gallery has been selected as one of just four partners to host the National Gallery Masterpiece Tour, a three-year transformative opportunity to bring world-class art to the North East.
From now until Wednesday 25 March the museum will exhibit Monet’s masterpiece, The Petit Bras of the Seine at Argenteuil (1872), which has only left the National Gallery once in the past 20 years.
The painting is displayed in the museum's art gallery space, complemented by works from the South Shields, Laing and Shipley art collections, and artworks co-created by EBSA young people, teachers, and local organisations.
The exhibition focuses on the power of art and nature, exploring themes of calm, retreat, and resilience.
Exhibition films
Wellness Weekends at South Shields Museum & Art Gallery
Every Saturday, from Saturday 24 January until Saturday 21 March 2026, visitors are invited to enjoy free ‘Wellness Weekends’ at South Shields Museum & Art Gallery, designed to encourage mindfulness and relaxation through art, to celebrate the arrival of Monet's The Petit Bras of the Seine at Argenteuil (1872), as part of the National Gallery's Masterpiece Tour.
Partners and Funders
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Image credit: Claude Monet (1840-1926), The Petit Bras of the Seine at Argenteuil, 1872, Oil on canvas © The National Gallery, London.
