Art in London: 7 paintings to get you in the mood for spring

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We’d like to say that spring has sprung, but thanks to the great British weather it doesn’t always work out that way.

Sunshine hasn’t yet managed to break through the soggy afternoons, and our brollies are working overtime - so to get into the spirit of more cheerful weather, we’ve put together some of London’s loveliest paintings that celebrate springtime.

Bucolic landscapes and chillaxed portraits in the National Gallery and Royal Academy are enough to transport you to that time of year that brings with it longer evenings and loads of bank holidays.

And hey, if spring truly never does turn up, at least you know you can conjure it on canvas.

Read on for London’s best paintings to get you in the mood for spring.

Henri-Joseph Harpignies, The Painter's Garden at Saint-Privé (1886)

The National Gallery, London
The National Gallery, London

When the days get warmer, London’s parks won’t be as peaceful as these, which were near the home that Harpignies retired to in 1879. Nonetheless, this painting, on display at the National Gallery, will get you dreaming of the days you can lie in the sun and watch the world go by.

Norman Blamey, Spring and the Student (1974-1975)

(Royal Academy of Arts, London )
Royal Academy of Arts, London

You can practically feel the spring air coming through the window in this painting, where Blamey depicts a barefooted student studying - and probably wishing they were outside. It's part of the Royal Academy's collection.

Claude Monet, Irises (about 1914-17)

The National Gallery, London

Monet will be inspiring Londoners all spring, thanks to a major exhibition on his work at the National Gallery. This work, also part of the National's collection, offers the same tranquillity as his water-lily paintings.

Frederick Walker, The Seasons: 1. Spring Days

© Royal Academy of Arts, London; photographer: Prudence Cuming Associates Limited

The woman in this image by Frederick Walker, engraved by Edward Dalziel and Thomas Dalziel, is certainly overdressed for the weather but we feel like she's having a good time anyway. It's part of the Royal Academy's collection, and was created as a series of illustrations for a book of poetry.

Nicolas Lancret, A Lady in a Garden taking Coffee with some Children (probably 1742)

The National Gallery, London

This work, considered Lancret's masterpiece, is on display at the National Gallery - and it's giving us springtime garden goals.

Betty Swanwick, Primavera and the Sleeping Gardener (1978)

(The Royal Academy of Arts)

This image is in fact a depiction of winter - the gardener, asleep near a bonfire, is dreaming of spring. Beside him, a woman based on Flora in Botticelli's Primavera, scatters flowers - he may awake and forget the season (until he realises how cold he is). It's part of the Royal Academy's collection.

Edouard Vuillard, La Terrasse at Vasouy, The Garden (1901, reworked 1935)

The National Gallery, London

This gorgeous springtime outing is actually only half of its original. It was painted in 1901 as a commission for dramatist Jean Schopfer (whose pseudonym was Claude Anet), but in 1934 Schopfer's widow from his second marriage asked for it to be divided into two. This work and the other part - La Terrasse at Vasouy, The Lunch - can both be seen at the National Gallery.

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