Eye Of The Tiger: London’s National Gallery Unveils First Of Many Massive Murals

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London’s National Gallery has today revealed the first in a series of monumental street murals due to appear in neighbourhoods across the UK in the coming months. 

The project, titled Murals reMastered, will bring well-known paintings from the gallery’s collection into the public realm, installing them in retail spaces and other high-footfall areas.

In a statement, Sir Gabriele Finaldi, director of the National Gallery, said: “The National Gallery’s collection belongs to the nation, and through Murals reMastered we are finding new and imaginative ways to share it beyond the gallery’s walls. 

“By bringing some of the world’s greatest paintings on to UK streets, neighbourhoods and everyday public spaces, we hope to spark curiosity, conversation and connection—reaching audiences who may never have encountered these works before.”  

The project’s first instalment is a 40-square-metre recreation of Henri Rousseau’s Surprised! (Tiger in a Tropical Storm) (1891), located in Camden, close to the capital’s zoo. The site is passed by 1.8 million people each month. 

Later this spring, a park in Brent Cross, also in north London, will host a work described by the gallery as “iconic” and inspired by the area’s 50 acres of green space and playing fields.

A new mounted artwork will also arrive in Carnaby Street, central London, while a series of curated murals will appear at other retail locations around the nation. 

The works are being realised thanks to a collaboration with Global Street Art, which previously painted a mural of Simone Martini’s Angel Gabriel (around 1326-34) on London’s Fulham Road to commemorate the gallery’s bicentenary exhibition, Siena: The Rise of Painting 1300-1350 (spring 2025).

According to the National Gallery, the Angel Gabriel mural has attracted an estimated seven million visits since its unveiling in December 2024.

Dr Lee Bofkin, co-founder and chief executive of Global Street Art, said: “Our artists are amongst the best muralists in the world, many of whom have been hugely inspired by artists in the gallery’s collection. It’s an honour to recreate these artworks at such scale.”