Views of interiors constitute a pictorial category within the much broader category of genre painting, which takes as its subject the world of the everyday and the private. It focuses on views of interior spaces, with individual objects, figures or events being ancillary to them. Paintings of interiors show a confined world: they take us into a private, intimate realm. At the same time, however, they invariably include hints at an outside world, allowing the tension between two separate realms to fuel the works. Their exploration of inner worlds opens up unknown zones, widens spaces and taps extraordinary imagery, as the works in this exhibition – paintings, drawings and objects from the holdings of the collection – illustrate.

The interior view acquires a highly topical edge at a time when there is a withdrawal into the private sphere, when individual living space serves as a refuge and interior decoration is considered of such importance, as to provide a barrier against the rigours of the outer world.