A century ago, Tate borrowed five Van Goghs to inaugurate its new "modern foreign" galleries

In June 1926, London’s Tate Gallery opened its first rooms devoted to “modern foreign” pictures, supported by royal approval from King George V and Queen Mary. The opening featured a formal ceremony in the gallery’s most impressive room, then associated with J.M.W. Turner. A large loan exhibition followed, presenting over 250 works because the Tate’s own international collection was too small to fill the walls. The Van Gogh loans came from British collectors and included four paintings and one drawing. These works were displayed in a northwest corner room within an extension funded by Joseph Duveen. Later scholarship redated and retitled the Van Gogh works, including Les Lauriers rose, now known as Oleanders.

"In June 1926, London's Tate Gallery inaugurated its first rooms devoted to what it then called "modern foreign" pictures. King George V and Queen Mary , giving royal approval to the decision to broaden what had been a collection of solely British art. It was a grand occasion, with the gentlemen wearing morning suits and clutching top hats, in a scene that was captured in an by John Lavery. The ceremony was held in the Tate's most impressive room, then housing work by J.M.W. Turner."

"To celebrate the opening of Tate's modern foreign wing, a massive loan exhibition was held, with over 250 works. The gallery's own collection of international art was so modest that it did not have enough paintings to fill its walls. Although then called the National Gallery, Millbank, it was already informally known as the Tate, following British philanthropist Henry Tate's 1897 donation for the building construction."

"The Van Gogh loans, all from British collectors, comprised four paintings and one drawing. These were hung in the northwest corner room, in an extension funded by Joseph Duveen and built on the former site of the Millbank prison. With advances in scholarship during the past hundred years, the Van Goghs lent in 1926 have been redated and retitled."

"The five loans Van Gogh's Les Lauriers rose, now known as Oleanders (August 1888) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Loeb, 1962) Among the most important early collectors of Van Gogh's work was Elizabeth Workman, a woman who until recently has received little attention. Tate's records show that she originally intended to lend Van Gogh's Au bord de la Rhne, now known as The Trinquetaille Bridge, (June 1888), but at a late stage this was replaced by Les Lauriers rose, now known as (August 1888)."

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