Faces of a City “brings Trafalgar Square to the Square Mile”

16 September, 2026 – BGRE has collaborated with the National Gallery and the EasternCity BID for Faces of a City, a public display bringing a curated selection of works from the UK’s national collection into the heart of the Square Mile.

Running for three months from mid-September, the accessible for all display will see 13 masterpieces by the likes of Thomas Gainsborough and Henri Rousseau reproduced at large scale on the glass frontage of 99 Bishopsgate, while this prominent City office building is being readied for redevelopment. The open-air display will also feature several works from across the National Gallery’s collection, some of which are currently not on display in the gallery, offering a rare opportunity to enjoy some of the nation’s favourite paintings up close in an enlarged format.

The display highlights remarkable works of merchants, workers, entrepreneurs and everyday people. In doing so, it tells the enduring human stories of the people who have made cities around the world what they are today, and that continue to shape them.

The featured artworks are:

• Jan Gossaert (Jean Gossart), The Adoration of the Kings, 1510-15

• Dossa Dossi, A Man embracing a Woman, 1524-6

• Lorenzo Lotto, Portrait of a Woman inspired by Lucretia, c. 1530-3

• Hans Holbein the Younger, The Ambassadors, 1533

• Workshop of Marinus van Reymerswale, Two Tax-Gatherers, c. 1540s

• Philips Koninck, An Extensive Landscape with a Road by a River, 1655

• Pietro Longhi, Exhibition of a Rhinoceros at Venice, c. 1751

• Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, Self Portrait in a Straw Hat, 1782

• Thomas Gainsborough, Mrs Siddons, 1785

• Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Madame Moitessier, 1856

• Andrea Solario, A Man with a Pink, 1875

• Camille Pissarro, The Boulevard Montmartre at Night, 1897

• Henri Rousseau, Portrait of Joseph Brummer, 1909

All works on display feature a QR code that leads to the National Gallery’s website for more in-depth information, including the stories behind each artwork.

Saff Williams, Vice President, Experience, at BGRE, said: “Building on BGRE’s long track record of making art accessible and public, we are proud to partner with the National Gallery for its first ever open-air display of this kind. This completely free-of-charge display seeks to enhance the experience of passing through the city at street level during a period of transformation. It offers the public at large an opportunity to learn more about the people and activities that helped make cities as we know them today.”

Sir Gabriele Finaldi, Director of the National Gallery, said: “Faces of a City brings Trafalgar Square out to the Square Mile, showcasing a selection of remarkable works from the National Gallery’s collection for the enjoyment of the thousands of people that pass through the City of London every day. As the custodians of this important national collection, we are delighted to have found a new way of sharing the Gallery’s masterpieces with the public. This collaboration with BGRE represents an extension of the National Gallery out into the City of London, giving more people access to art in their everyday and increasing access outside of the Gallery walls".

END

For more information, please contact BGRE@ing-media.com

About BGRE

BGRE is a premier, global real estate partner to the world’s most ambitious businesses. It operates and develops the real estate they rely on to grow with conviction across markets and sectors. The company combines global scale with deep local expertise, managing more than 330 MSF of office, logistics, hospitality, retail and living space in gateway markets around the world on behalf of Brookfield. Supported by thousands of employees worldwide, BGRE is committed to building strong partnerships, operating sustainably and creating places where people can work, live, connect and thrive.

The National Gallery

The National Gallery is one of the greatest art galleries in the world. Founded by Parliament in 1824, the Gallery houses the nation’s collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the late 13th to the early 20th century. The collection includes works by Artemisia Gentileschi, Bellini, Cezanne, Degas, Leonardo, Monet, Raphael, Rembrandt, Renoir, Rubens, Titian, Turner, Van Dyck, Van Gogh and Velázquez. The Gallery’s key objectives are to care for and enhance the collection and provide the best possible access to visitors. Admission free. Nationalgallery.org.uk

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