In the fall of 2021, the outstanding collection of portraits from the National Portrait Gallery in London will be on display in Leeuwarden. The exhibition Icons: Masterpieces from the National Portrait Gallery will include paintings, photographs, sculptures, prints and drawings by outstanding artists: from Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck to Andy Warhol and Marlene Dumas. Among those portrayed are world-famous icons, from Queen Elizabeth I and William Shakespeare to Audrey Hepburn, David Beckham and Malala Yousafzai. With almost 100 masterpieces, Icons explores the complex and fascinating genre of portraiture.

This exhibition is organized by the National Portrait Gallery and the Fries Museum. The National Gallery has temporarily closed to the public from 29 June 2020 until spring 2023 for a major redevelopment. During this time, the Gallery will share hundreds of works from its unique Collection, some of which are rarely loaned, through a series of partnerships and collaborations.