Following calls from Ukrainians on social media, the gallery said it had changed the title of the 20th-century French Impressionist’s work, which is not currently on display. This is a pastel depicting dance troupes, which the artist was fascinated to display in Paris at the end of his life. The yellow and blue of the national colors of Ukraine are noticeable in what appear to be hair ribbons worn by dancers and in garlands they carry. A spokesman for the National Gallery said: “The title of this painting has been a constant point of discussion for many years and is covered by the scientific literature. However, there has been increased focus in the last month due to the current situation, so we thought it was the right time to update the title of the board to better reflect the theme of the board. “ A few weeks ago, a member of the gallery’s education department highlighted the issue, and a Ukrainian living in London used Instagram to do so. Among those who welcomed the move to the National Gallery was Mariia Kashchenko, the Ukrainian-born founder and director of the Art Unit, which features up-and-coming artists, including 21 Ukrainian artists at the moment. “I understand that the term Russian art became an easy umbrella term that was useful, but it is very important now that things are done right. “As a Ukrainian, in the past I would have encountered moments when I was called Russian or where the Ukrainian heritage was characterized as Russian,” he said. Criticism of British cultural institutions has also come from Olesya Khromeychuk, director of the Ukrainian Institute in London, who wrote last month in the German magazine Der Spiegel: “Every trip to a gallery or museum in London reveals a deliberate or just lazy misinterpretation of the region as an endless Russia. as the current president of the Russian Federation would like to see it. “Curators have no problem presenting Jewish, Belarusian or Ukrainian art and artists as Russians. In a rare case where a Ukrainian is not presented as Russian, he can be presented as “of Ukrainian descent,” as happened with director Oleksandr Dovzhenko at one of the major exhibitions of revolutionary art in London. ” The National Gallery told the Guardian that the investigation into the paintings in its collection was ongoing and that information about her work was being updated as and when it was needed and when new information came to light. A spokesman for the National Portrait Gallery said the gallery was closed and underwent a major overhaul, but as part of the Inspiring People project it is reconsidering the interpretation of any work that will be on time when it reopens next year. Referring to the action taken in relation to Degas’s work, the spokesman added: “We are also very open to receiving feedback from the public on specific projects and respond regularly to comments made by our audience, including those made in the media. of social network”.
