CARDIFF.- The collection of Impressionist art at the National Museum & Gallery in Cardiff is one of the best collections in the UK outside London. This exhibition examines major Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works from the Welsh and Scottish national art collections. It concentrates on the patrons who brought together these paintings and sculptures eventually bequeathing them to the two institutions, the impact this had on the existing collections and the lasting influence of such generosity on subsequent artists.

The remarkable Welsh sisters, Gwendoline and Margaret Davies purchased their first Impressionist paintings in 1912 and bequeathed outstanding groups of works to the National Museum of Wales in 1952 and 1963. Meanwhile, in Scotland, in 1914, Sir Alexander Maitland and his wife Rosalind began to amass their magnificent collection. This was gifted and bequeathed to the National Gallery of Scotland in 1960 and 1965.

With the generous support of these benefactors, the two national collections in Scotland and Wales raised the holdings of Impressionist and Post Impressionist art to international status. This is the first time that their collections have been compared and the first time that the National Museums & Galleries of Wales and the National Galleries of Scotland have collaborated.

The similarities and differences between the two collections are illustrated by a selection of loans which include major works such as The Three Tahitians by Paul Gauguin, purchased by the Maitlands in the 1930s and Group of Dancers by Degas. Paintings by such artists were not represented in the Davies collection. The Davies and Maitland collections were for many years hanging in their respective homes in mid Wales and Edinburgh where they were known and admired by a select group of connoisseurs.

Once in public collections the impact of such works on other leading artists has been wide. The exhibition goes on to explore this with a selection of works from the National Museum's collection by Ceri Richards, Frank Auerbach, Leon Kossoff, Terry Frost and a direct response by Carol Robertson to Cardiff's Rain, Auvers by Van Gogh.

This exchange with Scotland coincides with the publication of the first book on the Impressionist collections in Cardiff for over twenty years. Colour and Light will be launched at the Hay Festival in June 2005. A number of related activities have been arranged as part of the celebration.