National to trace career of Spanish master Velazquez

The National Gallery is to stage the first major British exhibition of the works of the Spanish master Velazquez next year.

The National Gallery is to stage the first major British exhibition of the works of the Spanish master Velazquez next year.

The National will clear paintings from its main galleries in order to make way for up to 300,000 people to view the exhibition, which is being organised in conjunction with Madrid's Prado museum - the only gallery with a more significant collection of Velazquez's work than the National.

The exhibition, which will trace the career of Diego Rodgriguez de Silva y Velazquez (1599-1660) and put in context some of the National's own masterpieces, including The Rokeby Venus, will be the highlight of 2006. Other exhibitions announced yesterday include Americans in Paris, which will examine why American artists were drawn to the French capital at the end of the 19th century. Rebels and Martyrs: The Artist in the Nineteenth Century, will look at the stereotype of the artist as a suffering rebel.

Smaller exhibitions will include Cezanne in Britain.