Americans
A celebration of Americans and American history through portraits from the painting and photographic collections of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC. Artists such as John Singleton Copley and writers such as Edith Wharton and TS Eliot will be represented alongside other notable Americans such as Benjamin Franklin.

National Portrait Gallery, London
Until 12 January 2003
www.npg.org.uk

Duane Hanson Exhibition
The American artist Duane Hanson has long been known for his realist figures, his best-known work being 'Tourists'. This exhibition features 31 of his extraordinary sculptures.

National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh
Until 23 February 2003
www.nationalgalleries.org

Gainsborough
A vivid and stimulating exploration of the work of Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788), perhaps the greatest British portrait painter and an outstanding landscapist. It presents a full survey of his career, putting his art in context and bringing together his most important paintings and drawings, while offering new views of his art and times.

Tate Britain, London
Until 19 January 2003
www.tate.org.uk

Tolkien Day
Chat to members of the Tolkien Society, listen to storytelling and enjoy a puppet theatre. There may even be a star from the film Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers!

Manor House Museum, Kettering
11 January 2003
www.kettering.gov.uk

Museum of the Month: National Portrait Gallery, London

Portraits in all mediums, from oil and watercolour to sculpture and drawings depict famous and infamous British men and women from the Tudors to the present day.

Lectures and tours are held, and holiday programmes are arranged for children. Major development work undertaken for the millennium has created a Tudor Gallery displaying the earliest works in the collection and a Balcony Gallery for portraits from the 1960s-1980s.

There is also a state of the art lecture theatre, an IT Gallery and a roof top restaurant with stunning views.


National Portrait Gallery