Press Releases

Faces of Wales and Death in Wales: 4000-3000 BC – two very different exhibitions – have grasped the imagination of thousands of visitors during the summer months, and will close on 24 September.

Faces of Wales presents paintings and photographs of people who have contributed to the cultural, political and economic life of Wales over the past 400 years by artists such as Thomas Gainsborough, Johann Zoffany and Augustus John. Many of the sitters are established Welsh figures, while others have strong Welsh associations, some of which have long been overlooked. This exhibition brings together images from the political, cultural and public life of Wales from the 16th century right up until figures in the news today.

In complete contrast, Death in Wales:4000-3000 BC presents a revolution witnessed by Wales over 6,000 years ago, when massive stones were arranged as houses for the dead, and human bones became tools for the living. It was a way of death quite alien from our own today. Death in Wales manages to deal with a sensitive subject matter in the most dignified of ways.

The art galleries at National Museum Cardiff are currently being redeveloped and renovated. Some galleries will be shut to the public temporarily while building work is taking place. The Museum remains open to the public throughout the refurbishment, with a diverse public programme of exhibitions, displays and events during 2006 and throughout our centenary in 2007. For more details on our centenary, go to our pages. For day-to-day enquiries about the galleries, please ring (029) 2039 7951. The refurbishment programme is supported with additional funding by the Welsh Assembly Government.

National Museum Cardiff is one of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales' seven national museums. The others are St Fagans: National History Museum, National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon, Big Pit: National Coal Museum, Blaenafon, National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre, National Slate Museum, Llanberis and the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. Entry to all national museums is free thanks to the support of the Welsh Assembly Government.