Alistair Hardaker | Image: National Gallery - Jamestown Rd
Rousseau painting reproduction becomes first of series planned for UK towns and cities with property partners.
A 40 square-metre hand-painted recreation of Henri Rousseau’s Surprised! (Tiger in a Tropical Storm) (1891) has been unveiled on Jamestown Road in Camden, the first in a series of murals based on National Gallery paintings planned for locations across the UK.
The mural, created by Global Street Art, appears at a site with 1.8 million monthly footfall near London Zoo.
Further murals are planned for spring 2026 at Claremont Park in Brent Cross Town with Related Argent and Barnet Council, Carnaby Street in central London with Shaftesbury Capital, and Landsec retail destinations, subject to planning permission.
The Murals reMastered project involves collaboration between the National Gallery and Global Street Art, with contemporary artists recreating works spanning more than 700 years from the Gallery’s collection.
The Claremont Park mural will be inspired by the development’s 50 acres of green space and playing fields, whilst the Landsec series will appear at retail destinations.
A previous mural on Fulham Road, depicting Simone Martini’s Angel Gabriel (about 1326-34) and painted to commemorate the Gallery’s bicentenary exhibition Siena: The Rise of Painting 1300-1350, has attracted an estimated seven million visits since its unveiling in December 2024.
Property owners, commercial landlords, local councils and community organisations can propose future mural sites. Walls must be safely accessible, outward-facing, clearly visible to passers-by, and available for a minimum of three months.
National Gallery director Sir Gabriele Finaldi said: ‘By bringing some of the world’s greatest paintings onto 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 builds on the National Gallery’s Masterpiece Tour and Art On Your Doorstep initiatives. Global Street Art has produced over 3,000 public art murals.
