The National Gallery is set to host a landmark exhibition in autumn 2026, celebrating the works of French impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919). Titled Renoir and Love, the exhibition will run from 3 October 2026 to 31 January 2027 and will be the most significant showcase of Renoir’s art in the UK in two decades.
A celebration of Renoir’s most iconic works, featuring over 50 masterpieces, Renoir and Love will explore the artist’s most experimental and ambitious period, spanning the mid-1860s to the mid-1880s. This will be the first Renoir-focused exhibition at the National Gallery since 2007 and will include some of his most admired works, such as the iconic Bal au Moulin de la Galette (1876, Musée d’Orsay, Paris), which will be exhibited in the UK for the very first time.
Organised in partnership with the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the exhibition will delve into Renoir’s exploration of themes such as affection, seduction, camaraderie, and the sociability of Parisian life. From flirtation and courtship to child-rearing and urban merriment, Renoir’s art captures the fleeting emotions and connections that define modern life.
The exhibition will feature loans from prestigious private collections and museums worldwide, including Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen; Städel Museum, Frankfurt; Nationalmuseum, Stockholm; J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Norton Simon Art Foundation, Pasadena, California; and National Gallery of Art, Washington DC.
Co-curator Christopher Riopelle, the Neil Westreich Curator of Post-1800 Paintings at the National Gallery, highlights Renoir’s unique ability to capture the essence of human connection: “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 other great and transitory subject, sunlight itself.”
The exhibition will showcase Renoir’s evolution from tender, intimate works to grand multi-figure compositions that celebrate urban and suburban sociability. Highlights include full-length figure compositions such as Umbrellas (1881, reworked 1885, National Gallery), which demonstrate Renoir’s shift from the light-filled Impressionist style to more solid, sculptural forms. His beloved Dance compositions remain enduring symbols of the French fin-de-siècle, capturing the joy of friendship and nature.
Renoir and Love is a collaborative effort initiated by the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, and will travel across three major cultural institutions: Musée d’Orsay, Paris (17 March – 19 July 2026); National Gallery, London (3 October 2026 – 31 January 2027); and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (20 February – 13 June 2027).
This once-in-a-generation exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience Renoir’s masterpieces up close and to explore the themes of love, friendship, and modern life through the eyes of one of history’s most celebrated artists. Tickets for Renoir and Love will be available closer to the date, with an admission charge. Don’t miss this extraordinary celebration of Renoir’s art at the National Gallery in 2026.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Dance at the Moulin de la Galette, 1876
Gustave Caillebotte Bequest, 1896
© Musée d’Orsay, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt