London’s National Gallery hosts two engaging exhibitions that deserve a spot on your itinerary during your next visit to the city. “Peter Balke” (on view through April 12) presents rarely seen works by the Norwegian modernist Peder Balke (1804–1887). Renowned for his dramatic seascapes that convey a profound sense of solitude and atmosphere, Balke was not widely celebrated in his own time but is now recognized as an influential precursor to modernism.
From March 4–May 31, the gallery presents “Inventing Impressionism,” a retrospective dedicated to the Parisian art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel. Celebrated for championing the early careers of artists such as Monet, Degas, Manet, Renoir, Pissarro and Sisley, Durand-Ruel played a crucial role in bringing their work to public attention and in shaping the modern art market. Organized in collaboration with the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the exhibition features photography alongside a selection of 85 masterworks, offering insight into the dealer’s vision and the emergence of Impressionism.