A 40-square-metre hand-painted reproduction of Surprised! (Tiger in a Tropical Storm) has been unveiled on Jamestown Road in Camden, launching Murals reMastered, a new initiative by the National Gallery in partnership with Global Street Art. Henri Rousseau’s Surprised! (1891), one of his first jungle paintings, is characteristic of his imagined landscapes, developed from studies of plants in Paris despite never leaving France.

Installed at 267 Camden High Street, near London Zoo, the mural occupies a site with an estimated 1.8 million monthly passers-by. It is the first in a nationwide series that will bring large-scale reproductions of works from the National Gallery’s collection into public spaces across the UK.

Spanning more than 700 years of painting, the project will see murals appear in locations including Brent Cross Town, Carnaby Street and Landsec retail destinations, with installations expected from spring 2026, subject to planning permission.

The initiative builds on a previous collaboration: a mural of Angel Gabriel on Fulham Road, unveiled in December 2024, which has since attracted around seven million visits.

According to Gabriele Finaldi, the project reflects the Gallery’s aim to expand access to its collection beyond Trafalgar Square, while Lee Bofkin highlights the collaboration as a meeting point between historical and contemporary painting practices.