National Gallery masterpiece comes to Barnsley in landmark exhibition
A beautiful masterpiece from the National Gallery collection will go on display in Barnsley this autumn as the Cooper Gallery presents The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour, Mignard: Love, Power, Identity, a major new exhibition exploring themes of status, self-image and representation through art.
The exhibition opens on Saturday 14 November 2026 and features Pierre Mignard's magnificent painting The Marquise de Seignelay (1691) at its heart.
Mignard's striking portrait is the focus of this year's National Gallery Masterpiece Tour, a national programme that shares works from the national collection with audiences across the UK. Barnsley is one of only four venues selected to host the painting during its tour, offering visitors a rare opportunity to experience a world-class artwork close to home.
Alongside the National Gallery loan, Love, Power, Identity will bring together paintings, ceramics and glass from Barnsley's collections, creating new conversations between artworks. The exhibition will explore how artists have represented people, status and identity across different periods and styles.
The Cooper Gallery's exhibition has also been developed with support from Next Big Thing, Barnsley Museums' youth group, helping to shape how visitors engage with the exhibition and its themes.
Councillor Sam Burdett, Cabinet Spokesperson for Communities, said:
"We're incredibly proud to welcome this remarkable work from the National Gallery to Barnsley. Opportunities like this allow us to bring internationally important art to local audiences and reinforce Barnsley's reputation as a place where culture is accessible to everyone.
Love, Power, Identity will create exciting connections between a masterpiece from the national collection and the treasures in our own collections, giving visitors new perspectives on art, history and the stories that shape who we are. We look forward to welcoming people from Barnsley and beyond to experience this exceptional exhibition."
The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour is delivered through a partnership between the National Gallery and museums and galleries across the country, helping to ensure more people can engage with the national collection and discover the stories behind some of the nation's greatest works of art.
Mignard: Love, Power, Identity opens at the Cooper Gallery on Saturday 14 November 2026 and runs until Saturday 20 February 2027. Admission is free.
