Art and collections
We care for one of the world's largest and most significant collections of art and heritage objects. Explore the highlights, our latest major exhibitions, curatorial research and more.
Loaning items to exhibitions
We loan paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, ceramics and furniture to museums and galleries around the world, so they can be enjoyed by millions of visitors. Discover where some of the items we care for are displayed, and find out about the procedure for loaning objects from the National Trust.
Recent loans
Hardwick Hall's Tudor artefacts to a major touring exhibition in the USA
Two important objects from Hardwick Hall will be lent to a major exhibition The Tudors: Art and Majesty in Renaissance England, which opens at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in autumn 2023, before touring to the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco in 2024.
The Trust is lending an iconic portrait of Elizabeth I and one of the most significant pieces of furniture from our collection, the so-called ‘Sea Dog Table’, which was owned by Bess of Hardwick.
Van Dyck to the Scuderie del Quirinale
An important painting from Tatton Park has been lent to the Scuderie del Quirinale centre in Rome for the exhibition Superbarocco: Arte a Genova da Rubens a Magnasco (Super-baroque: Art in Genoa from Rubens to Magnasco). The exhibition celebrates the sumptuous artworks created in Genoa during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Woman in a Red Dress to Dulwich Picture Gallery
Polesden Lacey’s Woman in a Red Dress is on show in Dulwich Picture Gallery's exhibition Reframed: The Woman in the Window. Exploring the motif of the ‘woman in the window’, the exhibition brings together over 50 examples by artists from ancient times to the modern day.
National Trust loans out procedure
Loans to exhibitions are regarded as a significant factor in providing access to Trust collections. The registrar team are happy to advise about the selection and availability of objects for loan, but we suggest preliminary research should be carried out at least a year in advance.
Discover more about how to request to loan an object for an exhibition, which objects are elegible and the processes and policies in place.
Read more about our loans out procedure
National Trust loans out terms and conditions
Loans are approved by the Loans Board, which meets four times a year.
You might also be interested in
Article
Our latest collection acquisitions
Discover some of the most recent acquisitions and the stories behind them, from paintings and objects kindly donated to the National Trust to those purchased with funds raised thanks to the generosity of visitors.
Article
Cultural Heritage Publishing
The National Trust publishes two illustrated research journals every year, containing expert insights into our places and collections, curatorial content, and the latest conservation news.
Article
12 golden objects to see up close
From goldwork and gilding to goldsmithing and jewellery making, take a look at the ways in which gold has been used in objects in the National Trust’s collections.
Article
Celebrating 125 treasures in our collections
Discover the stories behind some of the greatest artworks and artefacts looked after by the National Trust, as told in a dedicated book, 125 Treasures from the Collections of the National Trust.
Article
Chinese wallpaper highlights in National Trust collections
Discover some of the places in the National Trust’s care where you’ll find rare and significant Chinese wall coverings – a staple ingredient of the British country house.