Isle of Wight residents are being encouraged to enjoy a major national art exhibition one last time before reproductions of world-famous paintings disappear from the streets of Newport.
The National Gallery’s Art On Your Doorstep exhibition has brought 18 life-size reproductions of famous artworks to the Island’s county town throughout the summer.
The works have been in place since 6th May and will leave Newport at the end of October.
The reproductions are positioned along a step-free 1-mile trail, designed to make the route accessible to all.
Visitors are taken through some of Newport’s key heritage areas, including the town centre, 4 traditional alleyways, historic squares and the harbourside.
Over 3 years, the National Gallery will take the project to all 4 nations of the UK, working with a total of 12 partners.
The Isle of Wight is one of only 7 locations hosting the trail in 2026.
Alex Kavanagh, Head of Exhibitions at the National Gallery, has previously said:
“Art On Your Doorstep is designed for places with a strong sense of community and a commitment to bringing culture into everyday life, and Newport stood out as a location where the trail could be delivered in a truly meaningful way.”
He said hosting the trail on the Isle of Wight “offered something really special”, with Newport showing “a clear commitment to using art as a way of connecting people with their town and with each other”.
The paintings making up Newport’s trail were selected by community groups and a local school, with many chosen to reflect the character, beauty or themes of their locations.
The Art On Your Doorstep trail is also one of the walks included in the Isle of Wight Autumn Walking Festival, which continues until 11th October.
The trail is linear and free to complete.
Each artwork has been reproduced life-size, in fine detail and complete with its frame, giving visitors the chance to take a closer look at the paintings and discover details they may otherwise miss.
The Isle of Wight Council secured the trail through the Shaping Newport partnership.
The partnership brings together the council, Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council and Newport Business Association to improve the experience of residents and visitors in Newport.
Shaping Newport aims to improve the town by acting on feedback from more than 3,000 residents about the Island’s historic county town.
Alex Minns, Isle of Wight Council’s Service Director for Community Regeneration and Economy, has said:
“It has been pleasure to have artwork lighting up the streets of Newport all summer, and we have had really positive feedback on the trail from residents and tourists alike.
“We are very proud to have welcomed such a major national exhibition to the Isle of Wight.”
Fiona Capewell, Clerk at Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council, has said:
“This trail has been a fantastic celebration of creativity, heritage and community collaboration.
“Secured through the Shaping Newport partnership, Art On Your Doorstep is yet another example of how working together can enrich the town, encourage people to explore Newport in new ways and create memorable experiences right through to the harbourside.”
The 18 artworks and their locations are:
- 64 High Street – The Water-Lily Pond by Claude Monet
- Castlehold Lane – Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh
- Post Office Lane – Flowers in a Vase by Rachel Ruysch
- Independent Arts – Portrait of Giovanni(?) Arnolfini and his Wife by Jan van Eyck
- Richmonds Bakery – The Umbrellas by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
- Bowling Green Lane – The Courtyard of a House in Delft by Pieter de Hooch
- Lord Louis Library – Bus Station – Surprised! by Henri Rousseau
- Lord Louis Library – Church Litten – Still Life: An Allegory of the Vanities of Human Life by Harmen Steenwyck
- Cockram’s Yard – Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan by Hans Holbein the Younger
- The Wheatsheaf – Corner of a Café-Concert by Édouard Manet
- Newport Minster – The Presentation of the Virgin and Child by His Patron Saint John the Baptist and Saints Edward and Edmund (“The Wilton Diptych”) – English or French (?)
- St Thomas Square – Portrait of Hermine Gallia by Gustav Klimt
- Cherry Godfrey – Exhibition of a Rhinoceros at Venice by Pietro Longhi
- One Holyrood Hotel, side wall on Sea Street – A Muse (Calliope?) by Cosimo Tura
- Quay Arts, side wall on Little London – Men of the Docks by George Bellows
- Riverside Centre – The Skiff (La Yole) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
- Harbour Office, Town Quay – Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway by Joseph Mallord William Turner
- Harbour Office, Town Quay – The Fighting Temeraire Tugged to Her Last Berth to Be Broken Up by Joseph Mallord William Turner
