A burst of expensive ultramarine blue on the walls of South Shields Museum should tell you you’re looking at a very posh painting indeed—Pierre Mignard’s portrait of the Marquise de Seignelay and Two of her Sons (1691).

Not that this French noblewoman appears in the heavy courtly fashions of her time—instead the painter has transformed her into a classical sea nymph with coral and pearls in her hair, delicate sandals and a pale, flowing robe over which that mantle of brilliant blue is artfully draped. This unlikely visitor to the north-east comes courtesy of the National Gallery’s Masterpiece Tour 2025–27, and is the second of three fabulous paintings to be lent to the Museum for temporary exhibition. It will become the centrepiece of a themed display of works from local collections, setting up a dialogue about the way that paintings draw us into their visual world. Community projects, meditation sessions and the mindful possibilities of “slow looking” are also part of the experience (see the Museum website for dates and booking details). And if you’re thinking that 17th century art might be dull and obscure, this could be a game changer. Think about it—a young widow, perhaps already looking for a new husband as funds for her extravagant lifestyle start to dwindle, commissioned this spectacular statement of her beauty, fertility and exquisite taste. She becomes Thetis, a Nereid whose marriage to a human incidentally prompts the Trojan War where her son Achilles (here, a real 8-year old in dress-up armour) proves his heroism. And we even get a naked Cupid proffering a shell goblet and a background volcano thrown in for good measure. It’s a sophisticated, somewhat surreal statement of confidence, style and mythic bling. GN-A

Mignard: The Power of Posing, 29 August-7 November, northeastmuseums.org.uk