Van Gogh's Sunflowers to Tour Japan and Australia in 2020

Vincent van Gogh's 'Sunflowers' (1888) will leave the National Gallery in London for a rare tour to Japan and Australia in 2020. The painting has left the museum only three times since its acquisition in 1923: to Paris in 1955 and to Amsterdam in 2002 and 2013. It will be part of the exhibition 'Botticelli to Van Gogh: Masterpieces from the National Gallery, London,' featuring about sixty works. The tour begins at the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo (March 3–July 14, 2020) and moves to the National Museum of Art in Osaka (July 7–October 18, 2020), coinciding with the Tokyo Olympics. The exhibition spans seven key art historical periods from the 15th to early 20th century, including Italian Renaissance, Dutch Golden Age, and Spanish art. Works by Titian, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Velázquez, Goya, Turner, Renoir, Cézanne, and Gauguin will also travel. National Gallery director Gabriele Finaldi stated the exhibition aims to inspire new audiences. After Japan, the show will be at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra from November 13, 2020 to March 14, 2021.