Van Gogh After Dark at The National Gallery

If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit The National Gallery’s first exhibition devoted to the work of Van Gogh, their latest announcement might just entice you. Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers is in its final week of showing and for only the second time in the gallery’s history, doors will be open all night long in a historic 24-hour viewing of the collection.

Experience ‘Starry Night over the Rhône’ in the dark hours of the morning or bask in the beauty of the ‘Sunflowers’ as the sun rises over the city. Wander through over 60 works of Van Gogh artistry at any hour of your choosing.

Although tickets for the exhibition are now sold out, you can access the exhibition with a membership to the National Gallery. If you're not a member already, there is still time to purchase one online before Friday. These memberships start at £68 and offer a host of exclusive access and priority viewing to events throughout the year.

The decision to open for a whole night is more than just attracting visitors to the Gallery. It is a way for the public to experience art in the same manner as artists themselves. Sir Gabriele Finaldi, Director of the National Gallery says: “As part of our opening for the last weekend our visitors will have the rare and special opportunity to experience Van Gogh’s pictures during the night and early hours of the morning following in the footsteps of artists such as Freud, Bacon and Hockney who came here during those times to take inspiration from the Gallery’s collection.”

From Van Gogh’s most famous works including ‘Van Gogh’s Chair’, to rarely seen drawings, the collection boasts a wide selection of canvases. Featuring work already housed within the National Gallery, the exhibition also incorporates loans from museums and private collections around the globe The central theme to the exhibition focuses on the inspiration of poetry and love and how these themes were incorporated into Van Gogh’s work. Focusing on his time in Arles and Saint-Rêmy, visitors can explore the artist’s imaginative transformations of places into idealised spaces in his art.

Find out how to purchase membership to the National Gallery here and gain access to all the exclusive perks.