Isle of Wight residents are being encouraged to enjoy a major national artwork exhibition one last time, as reproductions of world-class paintings will shortly leave the streets of Newport.
The National Gallery’s Art On Your Doorstep has brought 18 life-size replicas of famous artworks to the Island’s county town throughout the summer. They have been in place since 6th May 2026, and will leave Newport at the end of October 2026.
A one-mile trail through Newport’s heritage
Replicas are plotted on a step-free one-mile trail, designed purposely to ensure the route is accessible for all.
Visitors are taken across Newport’s key heritage areas, through the town centre, along four of its traditional alleyways, across its historic squares and right down to the harbourside.
National Gallery’s three-year UK tour
Over the course of three years, the National Gallery will be reaching all four nations of the UK, working with a total of 12 partners. The Isle of Wight is one of only seven locations hosting the trail in 2026.
The National Gallery’s head of exhibitions, Alex Kavanagh, previously said that 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”.
Alex 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.”
Paintings chosen by the community
The paintings that make up Newport’s Art On Your Doorstep trail have been selected by community groups and a local school based on place, with many of the reproductions reflecting the beauty and motifs of their physical location.
Part of the Autumn Walking Festival
The Art On Your Doorstep trail is one of many walks that makes up the Isle of Wight Autumn Walking Festival, which is currently running until 11th October 2026. The trail walk is linear and completely free to do.
Each artwork on the trail has been reproduced life-size, in fine detail and in its frame, allowing visitors the chance to look closely and discover hidden details.
How the trail came to Newport
The Isle of Wight Council has secured the trail through the Shaping Newport partnership.
This sees the council, Newport and Carisbrooke Town Council and the Newport Business Association work collaboratively to improve the experience for residents and visitors in Newport.
Shaping Newport aims to change the town for the better by acting on feedback from over 3000 residents about the Island’s historic county town.
Alex Minns, Isle of Wight Council’s service director for community regeneration and economy, 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 Town Council, 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.”
Where to find the paintings
The artworks that are on display in Newport 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
News shared by Isle of Wight council press office, in their own words. Ed
