A major Renoir exhibition is coming to London this year - here's why it will be one of the city's best art shows in 2026

"'trace] the evolution of the imagery of affection, seduction, conversation, male camaraderie and the sociability of the café and theatre, as well as merry-making, flirtation, courtship and child-rearing in Renoir's art'"

"'More than any of his contemporaries, Renoir was committed to chronicling love and friendship and their informal manifestations as keys to modern life. Whether on Parisian street corners or in sun-dappled woodlands, he understood that emotion could be as fleeting, as evanescent, as blinding, as his o"

"This one's particularly exciting as Renoir's most famous work (and one of the most celebrated works of the impressionist movement) 'Bal au Moulin de la Galette' ('Dance at the Moulin de la Galette') will go on display in the UK for the first time ever."

The National Gallery in London will stage a large-scale exhibition of Pierre-Auguste Renoir from October 3, 2026 to January 31, 2027, focusing on the artist's most significant period from the mid-1860s to the mid-1880s. More than 50 works will be lent in partnership with Paris's Musée d'Orsay and Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. The display traces the evolution of imagery around affection, seduction, conversation, male camaraderie, café and theatre sociability, merry-making, flirtation, courtship and child-rearing. 'Bal au Moulin de la Galette' will appear in the UK for the first time, marking London's first major Renoir exhibition since 2007.

Read at Time Out London