Famous paintings reimagined in London exhibition on end-of-life care

Paintings by famous artists have been reimagined for an exhibition in London showcasing the importance of end-of-life care.

The UK's end of life charity Marie Curie has commissioned artist Lisa Buchanan, also known as Dangerosa, to create the series of works, which will be auctioned for its Great Daffodil Appeal.

The Daffodil Collection, which will be free to visit at a gallery in London’s Mayfair, depicts Marie Curie’s famous daffodil emblem alongside members of the charity’s nursing team, providing care and support to the dying and those close to them.

The exhibition, on Thursday March 14, will be attended by British actor Alison Steadman, whose mother was supported by the UK’s leading end-of-life charity.

"I’m really looking forward to seeing the new reimagined masterpieces this week, and what a wonderful way to tell the story of what Marie Curie nurses do," she said.

"Their work is so important, and we’re still in a position where one in four people don’t get the care they need at the end of their lives."

The collection includes a reimagining of a painting by The Scream artist Edvard Munch, called The Dead Mother And Child. In the new painting a Marie Curie healthcare assistant is seen caring for a patient in bed while a nurse comforts a child.

There is also a version of Munch’s By The Death Bed, which now depicts a senior nurse providing emotional support to family and friends.

Elsewhere, The Death Of Gericault by Ary Scheffer, which shows the death of French painter Theodore Gericault, has been reimagined as a nurse making a patient comfortable in their dying hours.

Another painting, inspired by Nils Dardel’s The Dying Dandy, shows a senior nurse putting an oxygen mask on a patient.

"Throughout the process I got to know the fantastic nurses who feature in the paintings and learn more about the important work they do on a daily basis, and I can’t wait for people to see their vital work at the exhibition," artist Buchanan said.

The Great Daffodil Appeal, held every March, is Marie Curie’s biggest fundraising campaign of the year and people are encouraged to donate and wear a daffodil pin to help the charity.

Before they are auctioned off, the paintings will go on display for one day at 56 Conduit Street on March 14 from 10am to 6pm.